


Utopia (Monday updates)

by boo_minki, TAEstful_Cherry



Series: Kingdoms [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band), SHINee, VIXX
Genre: Alpha Jeong Yunho, Alpha Jung Wooyoung, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Arabian Nights Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Harem, Alternate Universe - Utopia, Arranged Marriage, Astrology, Beta Choi Jongho, Beta Jeong Yunho, Beta Park Seonghwa, Beta Song Mingi, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Cute Choi San, Cute Kang Yeosang, Dom Jung Wooyoung, Eventual Smut, Exhibitionism, F/M, Fan Soundtracks, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Harems, Implied Mpreg, Jung Wooyoung is Whipped, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Mentioned EXO (EXO), Mentioned NCT Ensemble, Mentioned SHINee Ensemble, Mentioned VIXX Ensemble, Mentioned WayV Ensemble, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Minor Original Character(s), Mpreg, Multi, Music, Mythology References, OT8, Omega Choi San, Omega Kang Yeosang, Omega Kim Hongjoong, Omega Verse, Original Character(s), Original Universe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Park Seonghwa is Whipped, Polyamorous relationship, Polyamory, Post-War, Power Bottom Kim Hongjoong, Romance, Sleepy Cuddles, Smut, Soft Choi San, Soft Park Seonghwa, Top Jeong Yunho, Top Jung Wooyoung, Top Park Seonghwa, Utopia, everyone is low-key whipped, kingdoms at war, ot8 but mainly woosan, wooyoung is a king
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:54:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 48,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27823321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boo_minki/pseuds/boo_minki, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TAEstful_Cherry/pseuds/TAEstful_Cherry
Summary: Choi San is an omega prince of the kingdom of Starlight. The kingdom is at war with another kingdom called Utopia. In order to gain peace, the kingdom of Starlight offers their prince as a marriage tribute to the young king of Utopia, Jung Wooyoung.((Updates every Monday because both authors have busy schedules))((PLEASE DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE thanxx))
Relationships: ATEEZ Ensemble & Everyone, Cha Hakyeon | N/Jung Taekwoon | Leo, Choi Jongho/Choi San, Choi Jongho/Jung Wooyoung, Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi Jongho/Kim Hongjoong, Choi Jongho/Park Seonghwa, Choi Jongho/Song Mingi, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Choi San/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Kim Hongjoong, Choi San/Park Seonghwa, Choi San/Song Mingi, Jeong Yunho/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Kang Yeosang, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Jung Wooyoung/Everyone, Jung Wooyoung/Kang Yeosang, Jung Wooyoung/Kim Hongjoong, Jung Wooyoung/Park Seonghwa, Jung Wooyoung/Song Mingi, Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa, Kang Yeosang/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Song Mingi, Kim Kibum | Key/Lee Taemin, Park Seonghwa/Song Mingi
Series: Kingdoms [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052207
Comments: 144
Kudos: 248





	1. Info and Images of the Kingdoms of Aurora

**Author's Note:**

> This work was a roleplay done with my friend boo.minki :)  
> they gave me permission to make this rp into a fanfiction!
> 
> note: each chapter will have a song to go with it as you read! it helps set the mood so i hope you enjoy!!

# INFO AND IMAGES OF THE KINGDOMS AND BUILDINGS OF THE WORLD

**by TAEstful_Cherry**

* * *

First off, quick thank you to everyone who’s been reading this, loving it and sending all the love and amazing comments! And a note to all of you new readers: welcome this ATEEZ au! We hope you enjoy your stay!

This is a bonus chapter that has been on our minds for a bit. We threw together some concept art photos we found to be accurate depictions of what the palace and the other kingdoms look like! Along with what they look like, we're giving a bit of information on each kingdom. We've only recently added the two kingdoms of Shawol and of Jade, so the concept photos and the descriptions for those are a work in progress!

Please enjoy this ‘tour’ of the kingdoms and palaces!! (IF you get ANY references we've put in these kingdoms, please comment-) 

* * *

# WORLD NAME: AURORA

Welcome to Aurora. The World of Aurora is composed of seven kingdoms: the Kingdom of ElyXiOn, located in the secluded snowy wastes of the far north; the Kingdom of Weishen, a coastal kingdom along the Shimmering Sea; Neo, the middle kingdom; The Starlight Kingdom the border kingdom between Neo and Utopia; Shawol, the kingdom farthest to the east; Jade, a mountainous kingdom sharing the mountainside with ElyXiOn; and finally, Utopia, the Kingdom located in the middle of the southern desert

_Artwork credit: TAEstful_CHERRY (original 12/11/2020_updated 12/14/20)_

* * *

# KINGDOM OF SHAWOL

Information on this kingdom coming soon.

Ruler: Taemin

* * *

# KINGDOM OF JADE

Information on this kingdom coming soon.

Ruler: Jaebeom

* * *

# KINGDOM OF STARLIGHT

This is San’s homeland. The palace is located in the mountains, close to the sky. At night, all the stars can be seen—thus the kingdom’s name. Since San comes from the cool air of the mountains, he's not used to the heat of Utopia just yet. 

The Kingdom of Starlight is the border kingdom between the southern desert kingdom of Utopia and the northern kingdom of Neo. They are the second richest kingdom because trade from the north to the south (and vice versa) goes through the mountain pass. 

Ruler: Hakyeon 

* * *

# KINGDOM OF NEO

Neo is the most culture-filled and technologically advanced kingdom. This is where great minds and inventors go to learn more and create things. They are the kingdom of forges, known for their amazing metal and glass works. 

Ruler: Taeyong

* * *

# KINGDOM OF WEISHEN

Hongjoong is from this kingdom.

This coastal tropical kingdom was once a part of Neo. (When the population in Neo grew too large they split their kingdom and created Weishen. The kingdom is very similar to Neo on the technological front.) The Kingdom is more of a jungle inland and more of a trade port on the shoreline.

Ruler: Kun

* * *

# KINGDOM OF ElyXiOn

Mingi is from this kingdom.

This is the northernmost kingdom. They keep to themselves and are on good terms with the other kingdoms. Not much is known about this kingdom because they are so secluded. Legend says that the rulers and nobles are born with powers.

Ruler: Suho

* * *

# KINGDOM OF UTOPIA

The Kingdom of Utopia is called so because it is a utopia in the midst of the barren deserts of the south. The kingdom began when nomads made their home an oasis. Over hundreds of years, it flourished into the richest kingdom in Aurora. Every king who ruled added onto the kingdom to show how wealthy they were. Wooyoung's great-great-great-grandfather created the “Sky Lounge” a huge tower that reaches up to the sky. At night, it's used as an observatory for the stars. Wooyoung's great-great-grandfather created the huge glass conservatory (greenhouse) and filled it with plants from the explored lands. Wooyoung's father established the first medical school within the city.

Ruler: Wooyoung

* * *

#  The Palace of Utopia

* * *

# The Throne Room

* * *

# The Jungle Lounge

* * *

# The Sleeping Room:

Where the consorts all sleep. Consists of seven beds, although sometimes a few of them cuddle together on one bed. It's usually a mess, no matter how many times Seonghwa tells someone to clean it. It has a few bookshelves and a balcony. 

###### 

* * *

# Wooyoung's Room (aka The Royal Chambers)

This room is ornate. Only the best for the King of Utopia.

* * *

# The Bathhouse

* * *

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	2. Long Journey

# Part One: Long Journey

Play this while reading this chapter

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/7vjMcuIdXBeGF3SlutzwiU** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/7vjMcuIdXBeGF3SlutzwiU) ****

* * *

A large caravan was making its way towards the borders of the Southern Desert. The banners and flags were black and dark navy, with silver trim, the colours of the Starlight Kingdom from the mountains. The caravan procession was headed towards the Desert Kingdom of Utopia. After years of fighting over trade routes through the mountains, the two kingdoms had finally come to a peace treaty. The price of peace? The King and Queen of the Starlight Kingdom gave their prince’s hand in marriage as a show of amity, to the king of Utopia. 

The desert kingdom of Utopia, was one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the world of Aurora. Precious gemstones such as opal, garnet, jade, jasper, and azurite, were pulled from the seemingly barren wasteland. The gems were traded with the nearby kingdoms making Utopia’s wealth grow even more. 

The carriage bounced at every uneven part in the road. San was beginning to feel sore from the long hours of sitting. He looked out the window with a frown gracing his lips. As the scenery slowly moved by he realized he was getting farther and farther away from home. The landscape gradually began changing from the mountainous region of his kingdom to the grasslands on the outskirts of the land. 

Once they had arrived on the outskirts of the Southern Desert on the third day, the heat had increased considerably, making the prince long for the cool boreal forests, and the chill mountain air of his kingdom. The royal procession stopped at an outpost to gather water, food, and exchange their horses for camels. San’s carriage had been replaced with a curtained palanquin. He had also changed clothes too, something to fit the king’s taste and to keep himself cool in the desert's unforgivable heat. 

San sighed to himself, _Utopia_ , what an ironic name for a kingdom that sat in the middle of the desert. He had heard stories that the kingdom was luscious, a gem in the middle of a barren wasteland. But those were just stories. He had low expectations for the place he was being shipped off to. He had no desire to marry the enemy, but it was for the good of his kingdom. The war that had been raging back and forth over trade routes and shipping vessels would be over. By doing this, San would have stopped a lot of unnecessary bloodsheds.

Soon, after the three remaining days of travelling, his royal entourage came to yet another halt and he heard his advisors talking to the guards of the Utopia palace. He peeked his head out from behind the curtains of his palanquin and gaped at how big and lush the palace was. It looked like a castle reclaimed by nature, plants curling over the walls and disappearing up the roof. This _was_ an Utopia in the middle of a desert; he understood the name now. He was carried into the throne room to meet the king, and San had to say he was nervous.

The throne room was as large as San expected after having seen the palace. There was a golden throne in the center and a few lounge pillows off to its side, probably for the king's consorts, San guessed. He knew he was right when he saw someone peak over a pile of pillows. 

"Wooyoung! Your new arrival is here!" The red-haired boy that had appeared by the pillows called out.

Wooyoung smoothened his silk clothes impatiently, crossing and uncrossing his legs. His face features crisped into a scowl as he fidgeted onto the golden throne. Today, he was expecting the enemy's prince as a gift of amity. The enemy kingdom's gifted silk and gold were one of the major reasons he hadn't launched an attack upon them yet. This time, he hadn't expected them to send him a prince instead of riches. His quiet curiosity and polite courtesy were the only ones keeping him from refusing the gift. 

His indigo gaze flicked to the wide intricately decorated bronze doors as they flew open. He watched as the palanquin settled in front of him. He sent the redhead that called to him a nod, rising to his feet. He craned his neck, suddenly anxious to see the prince. "Please come out." He finally ordered—quite gently—to the prince in the palanquin.

San delicately stepped out of the veiled palanquin as he heard the king speak. The prince was dressed in loose billowy pants, with sandals that laced up over the fabric almost to his knees, the shirt was black as well and it was cropped so he had more skin on display; it was the style of the clothing that had been created to keep cool in the hot desert sun of Utopia. San felt exposed nonetheless as he stepped out and stood before the king. He was quick to get down on one knee in respect. "I hope you accept me as my kingdom's peace offering." He said softly.

"He's cute..." said a new voice. Another consort had entered; he was tall, thin, and dressed in a similar manner to San—the only difference was that more jewels and jewelry adorned his figure. 

"That's what I was thinking, Hwa, now don't ruin their moment." The smaller redhead said and pulled the one nicknamed Hwa to lay beside him.

Completely ignoring the two quietly bickering behind him with practiced ease, Wooyoung studied the prince who kneeled before him—his dark clothes, his smooth light skin, his soft brown hair, and the small patch of blonde accentuating it. He was prettier than he'd expected. 

Hands locking behind his back, he stepped down towards San. He then spoke, having a strange interest in seeing his face properly. "Rise."

* * *

**HI ATINY!! i hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**and once again thank you[boo.minki](https://www.instagram.com/boo.minki/) for letting me post our amazing**

**roleplay as a fanfiction here! ILY FAM!!**

**there's more to come ill be updating on a DUAL weekly** MONDAY  **schedule!**

**subscribe to get notified when the next segment is out!!**

**comments are welcome as are KUDOS!!!**

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	3. Knowing Your Place

# Part Two: Knowing Your Place

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/69hUAO39hrnOvD9vWYwteW** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/69hUAO39hrnOvD9vWYwteW)

San got to his feet and looked up at Wooyoung with a polite smile on his face. "I hope that this peace treaty will secure a strong bond between our kingdoms, after the long wars we've had." He said genuinely. Even if he hated the idea of being in the enemy's company, he would do anything to save his kingdom. When his parents told him of this arrangement, he had agreed. San folded his hands in front of him in a passive gesture as he silently studied the alpha before him. Wooyoung looked younger than he had expected—he was really handsome too. Maybe this wasn't going to be that bad after all, he had a hot king as a husband…

The king's expression immediately lightened—whether it be intentionally or not—when the prince smiled at him. He relaxed his tensed muscles and rolled his head from side to side, trying to relax his stiff neck. He hadn't even realized how worked up he'd gotten over this unexpected peace offering. "Of course." He replied simply, still more preoccupied with the other's physique than by his words. He then forced his gaze to stop wandering before it reached somewhere that could get his imagination running.

Slowly and with a calmness that was unusual for him, Wooyoung let his hand reach up to the prince's pale locks of hair. He carefully threaded his fingers through them, secretly delighted by how soft they felt under his fingers. If there was a test for physical appearance, Wooyoung knew that San would have passed with flying colours. "I'm glad you decided to come, Prince..?" His words were gentle and somewhat polite, hinting that he wanted to hear the prince's name.

"San. My name is San." San said as he leaned slightly into the gentle touch. "It's an honour to meet you, my king." He said politely. He liked how gentle Wooyoung was with him. "I hope we can get to know each other better through this…” He paused, “... arrangement." He finished. He tilted his head as he watched the palanquin he came in get carried out by servants leaving him alone with Wooyoung and the other two consorts who were in the room. 

"Your palace is beautiful. I've heard stories of Utopia—but the stories certainly don't live up to the splendour of the palace itself." San said, feeling more confident as he spoke. He was telling the truth—the palace _was_ beautiful. 

"Ah, yes." Wooyoung flashed San a smile, his fingers lingering down his cheek before joining his other hand behind his back. "I'm afraid it'll soon dry up." He confessed lightly, his eyes darting over to the plush green outside. "The sun has been getting hotter and some plants on the palace's outskirts have started drying. We're trying to keep this oasis for more than just a few years into the future. But I'm afraid our efforts are useless." He paused, swivelling towards Seonghwa and Hongjoong—two consorts he valued the presence of. Despite that, he found that their silent standing just made the situation uncomfortable. "Joong, Hwa, you can leave us now. I will summon you if I need you." The words might've been harsh but the use of their affectionate nicknames softened them. The two inclined their heads and smiled at him, then at each other before taking their leave. No words were said, but Wooyoung knew that both Seonghwa and Hongjoong were thinking of asking him about San sooner or later.

To the prince, he offered his hand, meeting his eyes with something like secretive delight. "Please come with me. I'll show you around." Perhaps this gift was better than gold and silk. Perhaps it would be the gift that would finally mend the relationship between the two kingdoms.

San waited politely before speaking, paying extra attention to his manners—he wanted to have a good first impression on the king. "I'm sure you can figure something out. Don't lose hope, there's always a chance to get water. I've heard stories that, towards the North, in the kingdom of Neo, they are making these huge huge towers that look like bridges but they are above ground, and they're called aqueducts, they carry water from the mountains into the city itself." San explained excitedly. He had always been interested in architecture so he had seen countless projects of that kind done. He had read about it a lot as well. 

Wooyoung listened to the other carefully and led them as they walked. "Yes, I've heard of the aqueducts as well. I was considering them as a solution, but we don't have the technique. It would either mean risking thousands of my subjects' lives for the construction or trying to form an alliance with the Northerners. Neither of those things appeal to the council of elders." He stated with a deep sigh. "But perhaps that last option would be the best for the kingdom's prosperity." He glanced back at San, surprised at himself for how easy he spoke to him about the kingdom's political and environmental issues—he guessed this opening-up was due to the release he felt after restless waiting.

"If you want to save your kingdom, an alliance with the North would be a good idea. My kingdom is allied with them. Maybe I can put in a few good words for you..." San said. Wooyoung tensed at the other's words, an unexpected bitterness churning in his stomach. Why would he, king of Utopia, need his enemy's help in forming an alliance with the northern kingdom? They might've sent him their prince as a consort—and he did admit that it did somewhat mend their relationship—but this prince, this gift of amity, this consort, did not have a high enough rank to make him such a proposition. He would have to get used to his new status of consort and Wooyoung was set on letting him know that.

Yet before he could say anything, San hastily apologized. "But it's not my place. I'm just your consort, I'm here to please you. I'm sorry, forget I said anything." San said quickly, realizing he probably spoke out of line. He looked down again feeling embarrassed and slightly nervous that he had just spoken out like that. He absently ran a hand through his hair brushing the blonde streak out of his eyes.

Wooyoung bit down his aggressive retort, nodding at the apology. "I'm glad you recognize your faults. Need I remind you that you are not a prince anymore." He remained calm, but his words were rid of any warm emotion. "Make sure you remember that. If you don't, I can't promise your kingdom's safety."

San looked at him. Many emotions were crossing through his head. Wooyoung was right; he had been stripped of his prince status. He was nothing more than a lowly consort. He would have to get used to that and he absolutely hated it. His gaze turned cold and void of any emotion. He glared daggers at Wooyoung before looking away, biting his lip to keep in a snappy remark. 

He was in this to save his kingdom, he didn't have to like it. He absolutely hated it right now. He had just been trying to help. "I will be better, I'm sorry for not remembering my place." He said

Wooyoung didn't miss the cold glare—he decided to not comment on it. His kind demeanour from earlier dissipated. “Good.”

* * *

GREETINGS ATINY WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THAT CHAPTER. NEXT UPDATE IS THURSDAY.

PLEASE COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE IT MEANS SO MUCH TO US! 

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	4. Meeting the Others

# Part Three: Meeting the Others

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/1LTQewXIUPvVXGNTekUvcT** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/1LTQewXIUPvVXGNTekUvcT)

Wooyoung was starting to think that he had been wrong to send Hongjoong and Seonghwa away. They continued the rest of the way silently until Wooyoung halted in front of a set of doors. "Here is where the consorts are expected to stay and live." He pushed open the doors and revealed a long spacious room, quite similar to the entrance room. "This is where you'll be spending your time." He finally dared to look at the former prince again, trying not to project the hard feelings their last exchange had caused. "You are allowed to go wherever in the palace, though, with my room's exception. Unless I order you to, of course." Despite their unstable relationship, he did like San's appearance so he definitely wouldn't hesitate to summon him if he ever needs him for certain purposes.

San nodded his head. The room before him seemed really nice. It was well-kept; beds along the walls; a small fountain; a pool to the side. There was a balcony towards the end of the room that looked out over the kingdom and the bare wastelands of the desert. “At least I can explore. I’m not being kept caged like a prized bird." He said, looking around his new surroundings. It didn't seem like anyone was in the room with them. He could see that his luggage had been placed next to the bed closest to the fountain. 

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" said a new voice. A tall, broad-shouldered man came into the room. He looked at San and smiled. "Oh, you must be the new consort Joong and Hwa were talking about. I’m Mingi, nice to meet you!"

"San." San replied, returning the smile.

"Mingi." Wooyoung couldn't keep the relief out of his voice as he swivelled towards the one who'd just come in. Mingi was one among the many consorts that he truly prized and valued. He found strange comfort in him—whereas he tended to find mostly sexual satisfaction in the common consorts. Despite this, Wooyoung kept him at the same level as the others, as he did with the remaining five favourite consorts. 

"I'm glad news about San's arrival has travelled the palace so soon." His tone of voice softened as he glanced at the former prince, Mingi's presence dimming his cold demeanour. "Please take good care of him. I don't want anything bad happening to him." He raised his gaze up to the tallest of the three of them, his eyes sending him a look of complete trust.

Mingi replied with an easygoing smile, his gaze mirroring the same gentle affection Wooyoung felt for him. "Of course, my king." He dipped his head respectfully and then did the same to San.

Wooyoung breathed out a sigh of pure relief. He wanted San's comfort—he really did—but he knew he wouldn’t hesitate in acting cold and distant around him if he kept forgetting his place. At least he could rely on Mingi to make him feel at home.

"Seonghwa and Hongjoong have told everyone. The rest of them can't wait to meet you!” Mingi spun towards San, flashing him a bright smile. “Seonghwa has the consort duties laid out; he wants to go over them with you. Seonghwa-hyung is the head consort. He's the oldest and he's been here the longest." Mingi explained to San. "I'll show you around the consort side of the castle. We have a whole few rooms to ourselves. Wait until you see the bathing area! It’s probably the nicest room in the castle, besides the Jungle Lounge." Mingi continued.

San already was feeling at home. Mingi had that air of comfort about him. San smiled. "Thank you, I can't wait to see everything. And, yeah, I do need to learn the rules of this place... This is all so new." He sighed.

Wooyoung listened quietly, secretly delighted with the perfect organization and welcome Seonghwa, Mingi and everyone else was giving San. "Mingi-ya." He caught the tall male's attention by placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. "Please tell Seonghwa to meet me in the Jungle Lounge,"—they'd nicknamed their three lounge rooms 'Jungle', 'Desert' and 'Sky', all names based on the decoration and theme of each of the rooms—"I need to speak with him." He nodded when Mingi did, just overall happy now.

"Will do! I'll have to find him first though—he could be anywhere. I bet you, if I find Hongjoong, I’ll find Seonghwa." Mingi said, laughing. It was true; Seonghwa was always around Hongjoong and vice versa. The two were obviously in some kind of relationship and were inseparable from each other. San looked between the two, listening quietly. He hoped to get a tour of the palace soon—he wanted to avoid getting lost in the castle at all costs.

"And, San?" He spun towards the newcomer and sent him the warmest look he could muster despite their unpleasant exchange. "Tell Seonghwa to go easy on you. It's still only your first day. I'd rather you feel comfortable and settled in than tired and overworked.” He paused, unsure if he should say the words that appeared on the tip of his tongue. He looked at Wooyoung and nodded. When San turned to unpack his things, Wooyoung spoke again. “And one more thing.”

The omega turned back as he was spoken to again. "Yes?"

Wooyoung stepped forward and hesitantly touched that streak of white in his hair he loved, once again marvelling at how soft it felt. "It would be improper of me to ask for a favour from your father so fast." He said quietly, trusting that San would understand what he was talking about. "Now that the alliance has been made, I don't want to give him the impression that I'm manipulating you to get what I want." He ran his fingers through San's hair and replaced it, his hand dropping back to his side. "I hope you'll understand that."

San was, again, a bit surprised at Wooyoung's gentle touch. "Of course. I understand." San replied and bowed his head politely. Wooyoung did have a point. In order to keep ties between the kingdoms strong, it was best to not seem like they were manipulating each other. "I won’t bring it up again." He said softly as he watched the king walk away.

Wooyoung gave Mingi's shoulder another squeeze and waved at them briefly. "I'll be back in a few hours, just before mealtime. I'll see you both there."

"Ah, so I'm guessing you spoke out of place?" Mingi asked as Wooyoung left. San nodded. 

"I was just trying to help..." San sighed and shrugged, moving off to unpack his things properly and put them at the foot of his bed. "I need to learn my place, that's all."

Mingi hummed, standing beside San, hands locked behind his back. "The king's harsh at the beginning. He gets nicer." He puffed out a small laugh, tilting his head as he waited for the other to finish up. "I think you'll like it here though. I was terribly homesick when I first came here. I felt betrayed by my own father. I hadn't expected him to trade me off so easily, even if I understood why he did." Mingi said, a melancholic note to his words. "I like it here though. The other consorts are really nice—even if they looked really intimidating at first." Mingi got the feeling he was just babbling, but his wholesome personality treasured this habit. It—his cheerfulness—was one of his charms and he was quite aware of it. He liked upturning people's moods.

"I hope so. Part of me already wishes to be home. I want to be back with my cat, in my room, but part of me wants to push forward. I might not like this whole situation, but it's for the good of my people. I can't let them down." San said. He was sort of relieved that the other had a similar story to him. He wasn't the only one here who's parents had just given him over. He looked at Mingi and smiled. "But from what I've seen, I like the place and the architecture—and I've heard the gardens are splendid. You said that the bathing area was nice. I'm getting used to the clothes; I'm not used to showing this much skin, but they're vibrantly colourful and soft." He said playing with the hem of his pants. "I saw Hongjoong and Seonghwa in the throne room. They did look a bit intimidating..." He said nervously. "But I'm sure I'll get along with everyone! I'm getting along with you so that's a good start."

A mischievous smile danced at Mingi’s lips, the expression he wore making it obvious that what he said next was nothing but a joke “Getting along with me is the easy part—wait till you meet Jongho.”

* * *

HELLO ATINY and WELCOME BACK!!

we hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

chapters will be short and updates will happen twice a week!

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

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	5. Walking

# Part Four: Walking

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/2jkrGagEAt8WrQ6NyF8Lsy** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/2jkrGagEAt8WrQ6NyF8Lsy)

* * *

Mingi gestured for San to follow him. He led him across the room and into another hallway—Mingi honestly thought that the length and amount of hallways in the palace was exaggerated, but he wasn't about to comment on that, of course not. 

"Hongjoong is scary, but not in the way you would expect. He has so much energy and... fits of insanity that he scares me a bit." He joked. "But we love him for that. His silliness can cure anything. He may act a bit idiotic when he jokes, but I'm convinced he truly knows what he's doing." 

"I mean, he did look a bit scary, but he was small… so it wasn’t that intimidating." San said.

Mingi threw his head back and laughed. “I know! Just… Don’t tell him that, or he will become scary.”

"Seonghwa, on the other hand... He's really quiet and reserved and isn't at all like Hongjoong—despite the way they always stick to each other like glue. I would say that he's the most mature of all of us. He's really caring though. He's a bit like a parent figure." Mingi’s expression sobered up when he spoke about Seonghwa and it was obvious that he truly treasured him—maybe not as much as the king himself, but Seonghwa still meant a lot to him. 

"As for the others... I'll tell you about them once you meet them." Mingi grimaced playfully, halting in front of a door and pushing it open. 

"Seonghwa did look stern, but I'm glad to hear they are both nice." San said, following Mingi into the living room. This room was huge and filled with many different things: books, a mannequin that had cloth draped all over it, black ink and pens, brushes and paint of all different colours. "So the room we were in before was the sleeping room. Here is the room we just live in. There are art supplies, silk for fashion-design, books... If you don't have something you like, you can just ask for it. The king really spoils us."

"I like to dance, that's really what I like to do. I do like to read and from the looks of things, there are plenty of books here." San said as he looked around the room.

"Oh, there's a whole room dedicated to physical things." Mingi assured him, a bright smile plastered to his lips. "Seonghwa and Hongjoong spend a lot of time there. They'll show you around—I rarely go inside." He admitted nervously.

"Physical things—meaning what, exactly? Like dancing or… uh, other stuff... like, other activities?" San asked, a blush covering his cheeks. He honestly wouldn't be surprised if there was a room dedicated to extracurricular activities, at this rate there seemed to be a room or an area for almost anything. 

"Is that the one called San Joong and Hwa spoke about?"

San looked up at the new voice. The boy who walked in was pretty, with blonde hair and gold and pearl jewelry that went well with his light-coloured clothing. Mingi spun towards the one who'd just joined them, an easy smile lightening his face as he recognized Yeosang's deep-toned voice. 

Mingi nodded. "San, this is Yeosang. Don't mess with him, he might look adorable but he's dangerous." He said playfully, poking the blonde's cheek.

"Yah!" Yeosang growled, nudging Mingi in the ribs harshly. "Don't say that."

Mingi exaggerated his pain, moaning with a hurt expression. "See?" 

"Don't pay attention to him." Yeosang dipped his head slightly, composing himself. "I'm Yeosang."

San couldn't help the small laugh that fell from his lips as he watched the two interact. "It's nice to meet you, I'm San." He held out his hand to Yeosang.

Yeosang let a faint smile curve his lips as he shook San's hand politely. He could admit—this newcomer had a nice silhouette, this being the closest of a compliment Yeosang could muster about physical appearance. 

"And about the physical room," Yeosang picked the conversation back up smoothly. "It's for dance, yoga, running around—which Hongjoong and Yunho do a whole lot—it's practically just moving." He said, almost expressionlessly. He wasn't as animated as Mingi or Hongjoong—and Yeosang knew that. He liked thinking that this resting calmness of his was a quality many of the consorts here lacked. 

"Ah, okay." San said. So it was like a gym then, thank the gods. He visibly relaxed. 

"I'm happy to meet a fellow dancer, though." The blonde said, in a lighter tone. "I look forward to dancing with you."

"I’m looking forward to dancing with you as well, and meeting the others." San said. He was already starting to feel at home with everyone he had met today. Yeosang seemed kind and calm and one to not take any shit from anyone. San made a mental note to not get on his bad side. "Once I get settled in, perhaps we could dance together." San smiled.

“Of course.”

"And as you just saw," Yeosang sent Mingi a warning look when the latter spoke up. It definitely didn't stop him though. "Yeosang is also really boring. It's hard to get a reaction out of him and he's no fun."

Yeosang groaned. "Will you ever leave me alone?"

"No, Yeosang-ah. It's my job to annoy you." Mingi teased.

"I'm a month older than you." Yeosang retorted, a delicate eyebrow arching. "Show some respect."

Mingi swatted at Yeosang, continuing on with the conversation. "On special occasions,” He told San. “Some of us dance for the king, like his birthday or if he's having a neighbouring kingdom for a visit during holidays," Mingi explained. "And some of us sing too. You'll probably hear Jongho before you see him." Mingi laughed.

Yeosang nodded hastily, widening his eyes as he did so—a reaction that said 'You definitely will and it drives me crazy'. "The way he can project his voice is insane." Yeosang said with an excitement unusual for him. "I think I'm a good singer. But if I'm a good singer, he's like a god singer." His refined vocabulary from earlier immediately dropped as he struggled for words to explain his awe. 

"I'm sure you both are great singers. I can't wait to hear you." San said brightly. 

"Oh, shut up, you're great at singing," Mingi said with a grin, nudging the blonde’s shoulder. "You're even better at dancing. You're awesome too, even if you don't think it."

Flustered, Yeosang looked like he was about to retort something, but stopped, his cheeks warming up. 

Mingi threw his head back and laughed. "I will never get tired of this." He settled down and spoke to San."Yeosang tends to put himself down a lot. Reminding him that he's probably the prettiest one among us is something necessary, even if he gets all red and weird." He explained matter-of-factly, gesturing to the blushing omega.

Yeosang seemed to overcome his shyness and shoved Mingi away gently, but harshly enough for him to skid to the side. "Don't listen to him. He says silly things sometimes." He cleared his throat in Mingi's direction. "Anyway, did you get the palace tour? Or did you just start it?"

"No, I haven't had the full palace tour yet," San replied. "I've seen the throne room, the sleeping room, and now the living room. The king wanted Seonghwa to meet him in the Jungle Lounge.” The omega prince remembered. “I am curious to see what that room is like. Is it something like a greenhouse?"

"Yes, it's really nice. The craftsmen took years to perfect it. It's a huge glass dome and it has a fountain to keep the air humid. There are pillows and lounge benches, and there are fruit trees everywhere, name the fruit—Wooyoung or his father has probably had it imported in at one time or another." Mingi explained. "It's one of the most ornate rooms besides the king’s bedroom and the throne room."

"It definitely is. I like spending time in it." Yeosang spoke, brushing the hair out of his eyes. He gestured for San to follow him—but a hand from Mingi stopped him. His eyes darted from Mingi’s suave smile to the offered hand he had out. As if this wasn’t the first time something like this had opened, Yeosang smoothly stepped around him without any hesitation, leaving a sad lonely Mingi in his wake. Instead, he offered his hand to San—and the other took it.

  
Mingi pouted as he watched the two leave. Yeosang was too savage for his own good. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he was an omega. He had the beauty and curves of one, yet the stubbornness and savage nature of a beta or—even an alpha. Yet, Mingi had to admit he was under his charm like any beta seduced by an omega.

* * *

**WELCOME BACK AND WELCOME NEW ATINY WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!**

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	6. Wonderland

# Part Five: Wonderland

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/2eo0m22NuhN7gif3jpVW7U** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/2eo0m22NuhN7gif3jpVW7U)

* * *

A long hallway and another doorway later, they stepped into the lounge. It was as ornate as Mingi had described, luscious green plants and colourful flowers colouring the room. There were cushions, all of the colours accenting the room. There were small stools with fruit of choice—these were cut up neatly and arranged on long plates. It was large, maybe even larger than the throne room—two people could spend the whole day in this oasis without crossing each other not once. San’s jaw dropped as soon as he walked through the door. It felt like he had stepped into a whole new world. He knew that this was his favourite room already. The smell of many exotic flowers was heavy in the air along with the scent of ripened fruit. It would take San forever just to explore this room. He couldn't wait to look around. 

"This place is special for our king. He holds this undying passion for nature, which explains why he put so much effort into this room. He is always glum on the hot summer days when the scorching sun dries up a few plants on the castle's outskirts." Yeosang informed the new consort, his gaze sweeping the room.

"He did seem sad… When we first met, I told him how beautiful everything was and he said he was worried about the water supply." San said. He didn't bring up the rest of the talk they had. 

"Yes, he's been worried about that for quite some time, but it's our job to help him relax. The elders can help him with all that stuff." Mingi said. "I should go find Seonghwa-hyung. The king wants to talk to him here. You can show San around the gardens." Mingi said to Yeosang and patted his friend's shoulder. 

San had already wandered to the fruit table, there was such a variety; the fruits were in all different colours. He had forgotten how hungry he was. He picked up an orange slice and took a generous bite. It was sweeter than the ones back home—probably because this one was freshly picked instead of imported across miles of desert. 

“I was just about to tell you to help yourself.” Yeosang said, a small smile dancing at his lips as he watched San reach for another orange slice. San looked at him and blushed a bit at being caught.

“I haven't eaten since this morning.” San admitted as he munched on his fruit slice. He watched Yeosang reach for a pitcher and pour them each a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

¤•▪︎¤▪︎•¤

Mingi fiddled with the hem of his lacy shirt as he crossed the Jungle Lounge, eyes peeled open for Hongjoong's red hair and ears ready for his strange screams—he knew wherever Hongjoong was, Seonghwa was as well. Well, that was how it usually was. Now, he was surprised to find Hongjoong all alone in the physical activities room—the gym room.

"Hyung." Mingi stopped in the doorway, calling for the redhead with a confused expression. "Where's Seonghwa-hyung?"

Hongjoong shrugged and lay down on the floor, his limbs spread out in a star position and his eyes closed. "We met Wooyoung when returning from the meal room." Mingi had to remind himself that one of Seonghwa's tasks was to make sure everything was clean and spotless in the meal room, since it was one of the rooms that mattered the most in terms of hygiene. "The king took him aside in his room." Hongjoong seemed suspiciously bitter saying all of this and Mingi's worry for his older friend grew. If he became so attached to Seonghwa, it would cause him problems with the king.

"Don't worry too much. I'm sure Seonghwa-hyung's perfectly fine. I’m pretty sure Wooyoung just wanted to talk to him about San, just to go easy on the new guy for a bit. We've all been there." Mingi reassured him, crouching down beside him.

"Right. Anyway," Hongjoong let loose a deep sigh and rose to a sitting position. His usual bright demeanour seemed to be back, his eyes shining with that freaky light Mingi got used to seeing. "Want to meditate with me?"

"Of course. I've been in need of some relaxation lately." It was true. Mingi had been slightly stressed lately. He took a seat on the floor beside Hongjoong and began meditating with the wildest one of all of them. 

* * *

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	7. What Would I Do Without You?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are now 3 days a week MONDAYS WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS

# Part Six: What Would I Do Without You?

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/0cPSVrSv9YtRv0Tr7YwydB** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/0cPSVrSv9YtRv0Tr7YwydB)

* * *

Seonghwa was with Wooyoung. The king had pulled him aside—it wasn't really that uncommon for the king to pull one or two of them aside to talk to or have fun with. Despite that, Seonghwa was a bit shocked that he was brought directly into the royal chambers without any sort of explanation or a specific request. 

"My king, what did you need me for?" Seonghwa asked.

Wooyoung seemed to completely lose his face as king of the palace as soon as the door closed behind Seonghwa. He shed his calm, mature, calculating demeanour and collapsed onto his bed, moaning out of pure exhaustion. "Hwa~" He whined childishly, massaging his eyes to relax them. "I'm tired."

Seonghwa gave a soft smile as he watched Wooyoung yawn. The younger was so cute; sometimes he forgot that Wooyoung was the king.

Wooyoung scooched to the side and patted the empty spot beside him. "Sit." He ordered the dark-haired consort, hauling himself up into a sitting position. Seonghwa sat down on the edge of the bed before gently reaching out to massage the other's shoulders. 

Wooyoung let out a relieved sigh, leaning against Seonghwa's shoulder comfortably.

"What do you think of this new consort? San?" He asked in a sleepy tone, enjoying this small moment of relaxation. 

"I think he's nice," Seonghwa said, smiling as Wooyoung cuddled into him. "I haven't had a full talk with him yet. I just saw him while you both were in the throne room. I'll have to talk to him soon though; I have to give him a list of his duties. I'll go easy on him, don't worry."

Wooyoung nodded, unmeasurably thankful for Seonghwa's sense of responsibility and implication. "What should I do with him?" He said with a sigh, his eyes drooping closed. This question was mostly rhetorical, but he realized he would like to have a straight answer to it.

"Well, it is his first night here, right? We all spent our first night with you, it's kind of a tradition." Seonghwa said. "Or he could stay with us." He added, sensing the king's strange reluctance.

Wooyoung hummed softly, hesitant to tell Seonghwa about the unpleasant exchange of words San and he had had earlier. He could very well invite the new consort to his room for the first night, but after what happened, he was afraid their entire relationship had gone off on the wrong foot. 

"What would you do, if you had a tiny argument with the kingdoms' peace treaty?" He asked quietly with a sigh. "Would you invite him to spend the night in your room?" 

It's not like he hadn't had arguments with consorts before—so it was strange for him to get so hung up over a bad conversation with one. He found that he cared about San's first impression of him more than he cared about whatever else.

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, the two of you haven't started fighting already, have you?" He asked and then sighed. "Well... maybe not. That wouldn't be a good first impression. You argue then ask for them to come to your room. Maybe give him a few days to settle in and then ask him to stay with you." Seonghwa suggested. "I'm sure everything will work out. He seems nice, and once he gets to know the flow of how things work in the palace, he'll be fine." Seonghwa reassured Wooyoung, his hand brushing the other's cheek in hope of comforting him. "Remember when Hongjoong arrived? He was completely lost for the first few weeks. And Jongho was pretty stubborn because he was pissed he was a beta. Once they got used to everything, they settled down. I'm sure San is the same way. Don't forget that his parents practically handed him over to you against his will—like Mingi. He's bound to be a bit… upset."

Wooyoung listened quietly, absorbing every single word Seonghwa said carefully. He lifted his head from his shoulder and tilted his head at him, dangerously close. "What would I do without you, Hwa?" He grinned and ran his fingers through the other's hair. "But perhaps I'll invite San over to settle things. You give awesome advice, but you know how I hate following orders." His words had a hint of playfulness to them, his eyebrows arched in a mischievous manner.

"I'm only here to help you. I'm just happy to give you advice—you don't always have to follow it." Seonghwa hummed. 

Wooyoung was glad he could be himself around Seonghwa. He was glad he could be real with him, no matter their difference in status. Seonghwa and Wooyoung's fathers were allies even before they were born—which would explain how comfortable the two youths were around each other even at a young age. 

Thrown into this delirious train of thought, Wooyoung's dropped his chin on Seonghwa's shoulder. The consort's scent drifted up to him, awakening the alpha in him. Seonghwa was a beta—his scent wasn't as strong or seducing as Hongjoong's, or Yeosang's—but it was one of his favourites. It reminded him of home—something like a crackling fire with warm tea and a colourful sunset. It was a lively picture, and a picture he could only create with Seonghwa in mind.

Finally succumbing to the scent's charm, he placed soft kisses on Seonghwa's collarbone and up to his neck, his lips brushing against his smooth skin. No words needed to be said, for he knew Seonghwa knew that Wooyoung was happy to have him with him and so thankful for this comfort and love he was in awful need of despite his number of consorts.

The beta tilted his head, giving the alpha more access to his neck. A deep blush dusted his pale cheeks, his eyes fluttering shut. Wooyoung smelled like roasted coconut—a soothing yet still rustic scent that excited him. He tilted his head and caught Wooyoung’s lips in a gentle kiss.

Wooyoung let his lips curve upwards into a slight smile when their lips met, slowly pushing Seonghwa down onto the mattress to lay across the soft silk sheets of the bed. The consort, smiling into the kiss, reached up and tangled his hands in Wooyoung's dark hair. The king relaxed under the hands in his hair, his own softly caressing Seonghwa's skin, his finger starting at his temple and sliding all the way down his jawline to his chin. Despite their suggesting position, Wooyoung kept his tongue and lips tame. That, until Seonghwa deepened the kiss, angling his head. That warm scent wafting up to him and intoxicating him, the alpha got more and more intense. He probed at Seonghwa's lips with his tongue, silently asking for permission because consent is sexy.

When the beta felt Wooyoung's tongue against his lips, he parted them, letting him take control. It was a passionate kiss, the two taking their time as they made out on the bed.

Wooyoung let them both enjoy this lazy, precious moment before gently pulling away, keeping their close proximity nonetheless. "Sometimes I wonder if you're really only accepting this because our families have been friends for generations." He teased playfully, a mischievous light dancing in his eyes.

"What makes you think that? I could also accept this because I like you." Seonghwa said softly, his lips hinting at an amused smile. He gently brushed the hair out of Wooyoung's eyes. "Because I do like you, as much as my consort place allows."

Wooyoung couldn't the small rush of gentle surprise making a pale red tint dust his cheeks. He hadn't expected this reply, not at all. He fell into soft laughter, pressing his lips against the beta's forehead. "You're adorable." He quickly kissed him again before rising from above him, stretching to his feet with a grunt. He then stood watching Seonghwa for a few moments, suddenly dazed by his beauty. Even after more than two years of having him as a consort, he still couldn't get over how alluring he was. "I know I should send you away to do your tasks," He said with a sigh, running a hesitant hand through his hair. "But I kinda don't want to."

Seonghwa slowly sat up and looked in Wooyoung's direction as the younger left the bed. He wished that their moment could have lasted longer. "You're right, I should get back to work. Who knows what hell has broken loose now that I'm not watching everyone?" He said with a laugh. "Maybe, if San won't stay with you tonight, I could take his place?" He said and winked at Wooyoung before getting up himself. He straightened his clothes and his collared necklace. The dark chains were draped across his bare chest—like most of the other consorts, he didn't bother with a shirt.

Wooyoung chuckled at that last sentence and helped with the replacing of the necklace, lips set in a content smile. Seonghwa looked at him as the other helped him rearrange the necklace, once more marvelling at how majestic he looked. It had been a while since they had had a warm moment like this one. Wooyoung, however, was doing his best to tame his alpha side. That short moment with Seonghwa was enough to awaken his animal side; it was enough to make him long for his touch, his kiss, his moan—but it was really not the best time to feel these things. They had to take care of San now.

"Take good care of San." He told Seonghwa quietly, stepping away and hesitating before he opened the door. "He deserves it, especially after all those years of living in a kingdom at war."

"Of course. San will be taken care of perfectly. We'll make him feel at home, don't worry. Hongjoong is ready to find him—or make him—more clothes and I'm sure the rest are already trying to befriend him.” Seonghwa said, hands locking together in front of him out of pure habit. “I just hope Jongho hasn't scared him with his fruit-breaking skills just yet."

"I'm glad I can count on you." Wooyoung hesitated, but finally succumbed to his inner cravings for physical contact. He lifted himself on his toes and kissed Seonghwa's forehead once again, a smile lightening his face.

"And if Jongho is still who I remember him to be," He started, pulling the door open and leading Seonghwa out of the room. "He definitely has boasted about his fruit-breaking skills and demonstrated them to San."

  
Seonghwa nodded with a chuckle, following Wooyoung out of the room. "I'll go check on them, see how they're doing. Let's just hope they didn't wreck the Jungle Lounge."

* * *

**HI ATINY!! i hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

**there's more to come ill be updating on a DUAL weekly** MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY **schedule!**

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**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

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	8. Duties of a Consort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> introducing a small cute red-haired Hongjoong and his relationship with SeongHwa

# Part Seven: Duties of a Consort

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/2KbgjT7Ol48ezArqvwBF46** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/2KbgjT7Ol48ezArqvwBF46)

* * *

"Break this!" San said in awe, holding a watermelon up to Jongho. The beta in question took the melon and was quick to break it in half with his fist. Bits of watermelon flew throughout the room under the impact, the sweet juice dirtying the polished marble floor.

Yeosang, unlike San, was visibly not impressed. He had been impressed when he'd first come into the palace, but he wasn't anymore. What did impress him was San's enthusiasm. Meeting someone with such a lively spirit was something Yeosang considered rare—San was slowly starting to become something precious to him."You do know you have to clean all of this up after this, right?" He reminded Jongho as he quickly dodged a flying piece of watermelon.

Jongho grinned at him, elated about the obvious admiration San projected for him. "Don't worry about it, I've been sweeping the floors clean of juice for more than a year." 

Yeosang shrugged, popping a fresh grape into his mouth. "Okay, but try not to trample the plants next time." He sneered at him, his playfully arched eyebrow indicating that he wasn't seriously upset. "It took me six hours to replace them. And I'm not even kidding."

San picked up a piece of the watermelon and took a bite. By this time, San had met Yunho and Jongho. Yeosang had introduced him to them and the three were quick to become friendly with each other. "I'll help clean up the floor. I did spur you on in your fruit-breaking show." San said to Jongho. Since it was partially his fault that a small mess had been made, he should at least help clean it up. 

"Ah, you don't have to. You just got here. It would be unfair to have you scrubbing the floors on your first day.” Jongho said, eating a deformed slice of melon. “Besides, you have to stay nice for your night with Wooyoung. Hongjoong will help you get ready before dinner tonight. He's the fashion expert here." 

"My first night..? With Wooyoung?" San asked, a blush creeping into his face. He looked like a startled deer. "Please explain."

"It's exactly what you think it is, judging by your reaction." A new voice startled them all. Yeosang relaxed as soon as the familiar figure appeared beside him. It was Seonghwa, his hair suspiciously messy and his cheeks rosy. Immediately, Yeosang knew what Seonghwa had been doing and couldn't hold back the smile on his face. He turned away to try to conceal it, pretending to hold amazing interest in the leaves of a drooping palm tree. San, on the other hand, gave a small startled squeak at the other’s unexpected entrance. The older boy looked like he had just been flustered in some way, but San didn’t want to think too much about that.

"Or maybe not." Seonghwa continued, tilting his head. "It depends on what he decides on. He wouldn't force you into anything, so I wouldn't be too worried if I were you." He said with a sigh, his hands on his hips. San was relieved to hear he wouldn't be forced into anything, but who knew—being in such close proximity to a handsome alpha for the entire night might make San's omega go a little crazy. 

"Anyway, I'm Seonghwa. I'm a bit like... your boss." He laughed. Yeosang found him giddier than he usually was and he could very well guess why. "But you can address me as Hyung. I prefer that to Boss, honestly."

"Oh, I remember you from earlier in the throne room! I've heard about you from the others. Only good things though." San said with a smile. "It's nice to finally get to meet you officially instead of at a distance." He added sheepishly. 

Seonghwa laughed, stepping around San and circling around him as if mentally taking his measurements. He always did this—and Yeosang didn't understand it. It was as if he believed he could choose the tasks and responsibilities just by scanning the body. 

"You know," Seonghwa spoke, a smooth calm tone to his voice. "Wooyoung seems to care a whole lot about you, despite your recent arrival. I could see that the moment he caught a glimpse of you back in the throne room." 

What Seonghwa had just remarked didn't surprise Yeosang—the king always showed a lot of interest when a new consort showed up. What was surprising, was the barely-discernible dismay Seonghwa had pronounced the words with. It wasn't something anyone would notice, but after having spent sleepless nights speaking with him—as the two calmest ones of the gang—Yeosang could definitely notice it. 

"The king told me to…" San seemed to remember something, then shied away from the sentence he'd started. "The king told me to tell you to go easy on me for the first few days." San continued slowly, dropping his eyes to the ground.

"Ah, the king told me the same thing. I was going to go easy on you anyway. I hate overworking consorts." Seonghwa's smile reappeared and masked that slight moment of bitterness. "For now, I'll put you in charge of the sleeping room." He finally said, nodding as if just approving his own statement.

"Oh. Well, I'm glad to know he cares. He seemed a bit distant at first, and then we may have gotten into a verbal disagreement..." San sighed, running a regretful hand through his hair. "That was some first impression on my part." 

Regardless of Yeosang's obvious confusion at the mention of a verbal disagreement, Seonghwa nodded and hummed as if he completely understood what San had referenced. Yeosang was beginning to believe Seonghwa hadn't just done physical things in the king's chamber. 

"But anyway, you want me to clean up the sleeping room? I can do that." He said looking back up again. He had been to the sleeping room already. It hadn't looked too bad; the beds just needed to be made and dirty clothes get sent to the servants to wash.

"Yes, well," Seonghwa fiddled with his necklace—a tic he still hadn't managed to get rid of. "Some consorts will specify some things about personal items and habits, so you'll have to check with each of them separately. Other than that, it's just making the beds and picking up stranded items or clothes—things consorts are supposed to pick up themselves." He sent a pointed look to Jongho. The redhead sent a nervous apologetic look back.

"Other than that, I guess your role would really just be to watch over it, just like Yeosang watches over the lounge. Make sure nothing breaks or gets destroyed. If there's a fight or a disagreement you're afraid would be dangerous, come get me or Hongjoong immediately."

"Okay, that doesn't sound difficult. I'll make sure to ask before I put away something that looks valuable. The last thing I want to do is misplace something." San said. "Wait," He frowned, focusing back on the last part of Seonghwa's instructions. "People get into fights?" He asked nervously.

Yeosang smiled at San's reaction—he seemed so much like an innocent child, it was heart-warming. He put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he spoke. "Nothing serious. Jongho likes to get into fights. Sometimes we have small disagreements on things, but it's never escalated above shouting."

San brightened up at this. It was a relief that there wouldn't be any full-blown fights. Maybe just yelling and name-calling. Nothing too crazy—nothing San couldn't handle.

"Yeah, we never really get into actual physical fights. Jongho could break us all in half like twigs." Yunho grimaced and mimicked the snapping of a twig, his two hands joining in front of him and his wrists then flicking apart. 

Seonghwa waved the new consort's obvious worries away and put a comforting hand on the top of his head, that same warm smile curving his lips. "Don't worry too much, it only happens once every full moon." He said. "Anyway, I'll come back to you in about a week with comments—this next week is like an evaluation, if you'd like. I might give you new tasks, but if there's something that bothers you, please tell me." He said. Yeosang had heard this speech so many times he could probably recite it by heart by now.

"And remember," Yeosang silently formed the words with his lips as the oldest spoke. "I'm your hyung, not your boss."

"Okay, Hyung." San smiled at Seonghwa's gentle words, then sent an amused look to Yeosang at the blonde's harmless mocking.

"SEONGHWA!" Another voice yelled happily, startling them all once again. A blur of red hair followed, and a small male attached himself to Seonghwa's side like a koala to a tree. "I missed you! What did you and Wooyoung do?" The redhead's face fell and his nose scrunched up. "You smell like him now." 

"That's Hongjoong." Yunho nudged San, a bright smile on his lips. "He and Seonghwa are practically inseparable. Joong-hyung, meet San!"

Hongjoong tilted his head at San, the look in his eyes like the one of a hyperactive puppy—which is exactly the animal Hongjoong would be if he were one. "We met in the throne room, right? Nice to see you again!" He chirped, practically beaming with joy when Seonghwa wrapped his arms around him. Seonghwa was discreet and gentle when it came to physical contact, but Hongjoong's reactions always made it seem like he had kissed him or something. 

"Yes, it's good to meet you again too, Hyung!" San smiled at Hongjoong. He watched how Hongjoong and Seonghwa interacted with each other—and he had to admit: they were cute. Could the consorts have relationships with each other alongside the king, or was this something that they were keeping to themselves? "The others were saying you'd help me find something to wear for dinner and then…" San's cheeks took a red tint. "For my first night with the king." San said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Yes, I'll have to speak to you about clothes, but that can wait. What room did Seonghwa assign to you?" Hongjoong asked. 

"Ah, he assigned me the sleeping room—basically making sure the laundry is all away and everything is in the right place and clean. It's simple stuff really." 

Hongjoong nodded. "The first room I got was the bathing room. I had to scrub toilets and showers for _weeks_." He groaned, remembering the good ol' days. "I was pretty sure Seonghwa hated me back then." He said, glancing up at the dark-haired beta.

"I did not!" Seonghwa shot him an indignant look.

"Now we have servants who clean the bathrooms, so you don't have to worry about doing those!" Yunho said to San. "We live a more luxurious life than we did before."

Hongjoong nodded hastily in agreement with Yunho's statement. "Yep, definitely! It's so much easier to get bored now."

"You're the only one who gets bored, Joong-ah." Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, patting the top of Hongjoong's head as if that would help calm him down. "The rest of us are considering it free personal time." 

"My personal time's boring when you're not involved." Hongjoong retorted with a grimace, eyebrows arched mischievously.

"Shut it." Seonghwa was visibly busting so many uwus, struggling to hide them.

"Hongjoong's a horrible influence, don't take after him, please." Seonghwa looked at San helplessly. "I don't need two Hongjoongs in my life." 

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that and continue on with my wonderful conversation with San." Hongjoong declared, his face sobering him up in a clearly fake manner. "I'll come to pick you up and bring you to the clothing room in about half an hour. I imagine you'll be done with the tour by then. You could get to know me while I get to know your sense of style." He flashed San a sweet smile.

San nodded and smiled. "Yes, I have to finish touring the palace. There's so much to see." He said. "After the clothes room, should I start cleaning up the sleeping room?"

"That sounds good. I'll show you what belongs to who." Yeosang said. "And I'll continue on with the palace tour. You still have to see the Sky Lounge, the Desert Lounge, the dining area, the royal stables and all that." Yeosang explained eagerly. "You'll love the Sky Lounge. It's the tallest tower here, and you can see everything! We normally go there at night because you can see the stars—and there are telescopes up there as well!"

Yunho came up behind Yeosang and massaged his shoulders affectionately as he spoke. 

"Sangie's obsessed with the lounges. The only times he talks a lot is when he fanboys over the lounges." Yunho laughed. Yeosang didn't have the heart to retort; one, because it was Yunho; two, because what he said was unbelievably true. 

"The lounges are really nice, I have to say—whatever good Yeosang says about them is true. The best places to relax are here, in the Jungle Lounge, and the Sky Lounge. The Desert Room is a bit too hot.” Yunho drew a quick vertical line across his neck with his hand, the simple gesture just pressing his point. “All of us come from different kingdoms, so we're not quite used to the desert heat yet, even after so much time here. Mainly Wooyoung spends his time in the Desert Lounge."

Meanwhile, Seonghwa had been counting—just like any responsible parent would be. Pastel Boy—one, Redhead #1—two, Redhead #2—three, Blondie—four, New Guy—five... They were missing someone. "Where's Mingi?" Seonghwa asked suddenly, distressed like a mother who had just lost one of her pups.

Hongjoong laughed at the motherly tone and pinched Seonghwa's cheek. "Dunno. Don't worry too much though, I'm sure he's fine. I left him in the gym room."

Jongho, too, looked amused by Seonghwa's reaction. "I'm pretty sure he went into the courtyard though. He hates practicing in the gym room."

"San and I are gonna pass by the courtyard on our tour," Yeosang said. "We'll check on him.”

Seonghwa, hesitant but reassured, nodded and started distributing the tasks. "Jongho, you clean up the mess in here." The redhead nodded and hurried out of the room to grab the cleaning supplies.

"Yeosang-ah, take care of San's tour around the palace." The blond nodded. 

"Yunho... I'm guessing you finished washing the dishes from lunch. If you haven't finished, do that. If you have, free time." Yunho nodded, pulling away from Yeosang. "I might join Mingi in the courtyard."

"And Joong-ah?" Seonghwa dropped his chin on Hongjoong's head, that sweet peach scent—Hongjoong's scent—making him breathe in deeply. "I'll help you clean and settle up the clothing room."

"And pick out something for San,” Hongjoong added gleefully. “I'm going to need everything organized for him. He needs to look absolutely stunning for dinner tonight—the feast is in his honour after all."

"And we will leave you two lovebirds alone,” Yeosang said, grimacing at the two’s shameless lovey-doveyness. The blonde beckoned San with a flick of his hand, and San followed him with a smile. “Let’s go, San.”

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

We hope all of you have a happy holiday and stay healthy!!

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	9. Precious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some wholesome SeongJoong for the holidays-

# Part Eight: Precious

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/6BxL9ykgqQUPJucdZSqQ7j** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/6BxL9ykgqQUPJucdZSqQ7j)

* * *

Seonghwa, sighing, buried his face into Hongjoong's red hair, his arms tightening around the omega. He groaned softly, swaying from side to side. "I have no idea what I'm doing, Joong-ah. I might be the oldest but I'm clueless." He said, randomly letting free a small part of his insecurities. "I have no idea if I'm doing a good job or not and it's bothering me."

Hongjoong swayed with him, listening quietly. It wasn't anything new—they did this sometimes. "Don't say things like that, Hwa, you're doing fine. I swear, without you, I don't know how we would manage to keep the others in control. I’m a bit scared to think about that." The redhead laughed a little. "You're doing perfect, Hwa, no one could do a better job than you.” The omega’s tone softened, the playfulness in it disappearing. “If you ever want to take a break, I can take over for you." He kissed Seonghwa on the cheek, and the oldest of the two’s heart melted.

“If I let you take over for me, you’ll turn the whole castle upside down.” He teased. Hongjoong pouted at this, but before he could argue, Seonghwa spoke again, gently untangling himself from Hongjoong.

"Anyway," He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, replacing it neatly. "Let's go." He jerked his head towards the hallway leading towards the clothing room. "We need to be done in half an hour—you said it yourself."

"Yeah, about that. It looks worse than it actually is.” Hongjoong said, mentally preparing himself for the scolding he would get. “Organized chaos, you know?" Hongjoong mumbled. Seonghwa headed towards the clothing room, letting out a dry laugh at the other’s mumble. "I think San will look good in white, don’t you think?” The redhead quickly changed subjects, trying his best to avoid Seonghwa’s wrath. “We could have an array of clothes to choose from for him."

"Honestly? San would look good in anything. You could give him a mustard-coloured outfit and he would rock it.” Seonghwa pushed open the doors to the room and wasn't at all surprised to find it untidy and unorganized.  
"Yeah, he has a good body, I must say." Hongjoong said.

"We might have to give him a shirt though," Seonghwa continued thoughtfully. "He doesn't seem completely comfortable with revealing clothes." The omega looked around gingerly as they entered the room. Most finished clothes were displayed on mannequins and hangers. There were boxes of colourful clothes of all different shapes and colours, boxes of buttons and sequins, gold and silver bells and small jingling clasps. To anyone else, it would have looked overwhelming, but Hongjoong loved it. "A shirt…” He mused, his eyes roaming the messy room. “I'll try to find something. If not, we have plenty of wraps he could wear."

"Let's clean first though." Seonghwa let out a sigh as he surveyed the chaotic workplace. "I gave you two extra storage chests!" Seonghwa yelled playfully, waving his hand around. "What is all of this? I feel like your mom each time I clean up after you and I don't want to be your mom." Despite this half-angry outburst, Seonghwa loved taking care of him. It made him feel like Hongjoong really needed him—for something other than 'omega in heat and the alpha is busy' purposes.

"Hey, I just have a lot of inspiration bursts! And when we went into the market the other day, I was able to pick up some clothes that I've been looking for forever! And not to mention that now that we have a new kingdom to trade with, there are so many different things to get!” He fired excuse after excuse at Seonghwa so fast that the beta suspected that he had planned and rehearsed them all in the morning. “I'm also planning on making Wooyoung a suit for his birthday. I know it's months away but I started sketching it out and getting all of the materials ready." Hongjoong added and picked up some still-bundled fabrics, placing them in a nearly empty chest.

"It's a good idea, but it would be so much more effective if you worked in a _clean_ environment." Seonghwa said, emphasizing the last adjective.

"It's called organized chaos for a reason. It looks a mess to you, but I can find everything perfectly fine." The omega said and moved on to tidying up the sewing machine, cleaning up the pedal underneath.  
The dark-haired beta scoffed and picked up a few stray needles and pins, placing them in their compartments. "You could get hurt with these around." He muttered, gathering more of them and dropping them into the small boxes.

"The things I do and think for him, unbelievable..." He continued under his breath. These moments with Hongjoong alone were one of the only moments he allowed himself to speak his mind freely and do whatever came to his mind impulsively.

"Things you do for who? Wooyoung?" Hongjoong asked curiously as he rearranged a box of multicoloured threads and ribbons onto a sectioned drawer.

Seonghwa blinked at him and his oblivion, freezing in the middle of his folding of stray pieces of cut cloth. "Yes, Wooyoung." He scoffed again, his words laced with sarcasm. He hastily moved over to another pile of cloth and folded that one neatly as well. "It's you I'm grumbling about." He finally said, gathering the two piles and placing them in the same chest Hongjoong had opened earlier.

"If you don't wanna help me clean up, you don't have to." Hongjoong picked up a few jars filled with colour-assorted accessories and then realized they came from one of the taller shelves. He grimaced and looked for his stool. He hated being small in moments like this.

Wordlessly and almost out of habit, Seonghwa put out his hand, mentioning for Hongjoong to give him the jars. Hongjoong handed him the jars and watched as the older lifted himself up on the tip of his toes, placing them on the shelf. "I enjoy cleaning. What I enjoy more than that is spending time with you. It's a two in one." He tilted his head, playfully—but affectionately—ruffling the omega's red hair.

"You're too sweet. I love spending time with you too." Hongjoong smiled and leaned into the touch. He really did like Seonghwa; they were close enough to be considered a couple at this point. Yet Hongjoong didn't know what to call it—friends turned lovers, or just simply soulmates?

Seonghwa's features visibly softened, the hand in Hongjoong's hair sliding down to his cheek. "Your skin has gotten softer." He noted softly, his finger delicately tracing the omega's profile. "Are you using new cleansing soap?" He asked, more as a joke than as an actual question, a smile Hongjoong was absolutely soft for appearing on his lips.

"Yes, I actually am. I started using milk and honey. Yeosang swears by it, so I decided to try it." Hongjoong replied. "I've started washing my whole body in it." He added with a suspicious wink.

"Oh?" Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, a strange light dancing in his eyes. "You know, I've always doubted Yeosang's milk and honey. It works well on the face because the skin is naturally softer. But I'm not so sure about the rest of the body." He said with an edge to his voice, his lips almost subconsciously gravitating towards Hongjoong's.

"Why don't you come to see for yourself?" Hongjoong said, his voice low and seducing. He tilted his head up and he pressed his lips against the other’s. The kiss was soft at first but slowly got deeper. Hongjoong reached up and ran his fingers through Seonghwa's hair knowing how much the other liked it.

Seonghwa hummed against Hongjoong's lips, his hands reflexively locking around his hips.  
He'd forgotten how much he liked having an omega in his arms. He'd forgotten how much he liked dominating. Hongjoong's fruity scent flooding all of his senses, he pushed him towards a pile of cushions, both of them falling onto them. _Okay,_ He thought, his brain in that dreamlike state of hysteria. _Just for a while. I'll enjoy how good he makes me feel._

Hongjoong pulled away for air after a minute and looked at Seonghwa through eager eyes. He loved Seonghwa and the feeling of the other’s hands on him—and now, he couldn’t help but curse the way each one’s tasks hadn’t left any time for them to do this until now. His hands dropped from Seonghwa's hair and played with his necklace instead. "I missed this." He said softly, leaning towards him and pressing kisses to his neck.

Seonghwa's breath hitched—he was a sucker for neck kisses. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes drooping closed as he relaxed into Hongjoong's kisses and touches. "I missed you." He whispered back into the redhead's ear. His lips brushed down Hongjoong's ear, then placed a faint kiss on his jawline.

"Gods, it's been so long." He huffed, tilting his head at the feeling of the beta’s feather-light kisses. He maneuvered them both, flipping them, Hongjoong straddling Seonghwa’s lap.

Seonghwa gazed up at him with dazed, lustful eyes—it was crazy what this red-haired omega and his peach scent could do to him. "I really need to start giving you more cleaning tasks. Maybe if I assign enough of them, we’ll eventually end up doing the actual cleaning." He teased, his voice deep and raw with pure desire.  
Hongjoong hummed, a smile dancing at his lips. “You don't want to; I know you love this." He purred.

In the mood for a little teasing, Hongjoong made a move to kiss the other again, but kept the distance between their lips nonetheless, annoying Seonghwa. As Hongjoong erupted with laughter at the other’s reaction, the beta grumbled something about how evil he was—and then reached up, their lips locking again. The mischief born from the teasing fueling him, Hongjoong brought his hands down to Seonghwa's pants, playing with the hem of the fabric.

"And this is the clothing room Hongjoo- OH MY GODS!" Yeosang shrieked as he opened the door and quickly shut it again with a slam.

Seonghwa's lips followed Hongjoong for a bit before he accepted their separation, letting out an annoyed sigh. He was unfocused and aroused—and now he had to force himself to be normal in front of the new consort—in fear of scaring him off with this side of him San had probably not expected.

Hongjoong pulled away from Seonghwa and whined. "Can we ever find a moment of peace?" He complained, pouting like an eight-year-old whose playtime had just been cut short.

Seonghwa gently gestured for Hongjoong to stand up and stood up himself, clenching his jaw as he tried hard to get rid of his arousal. He was so sexually dissatisfied at the moment, he could punch a wall. "It's fine," He called to the two omegas beyond the door. "You can come in now."

Yeosang came in first, flustered. San followed, also looking a tad embarrassed at what he had witnessed. He figured he should get used to it though because they were consorts—he might walk in on one of them with Wooyoung.

"Please lock the door next time. I know we've seen each other in far more… erotic situations but please, maybe, for the sake of everyone’s happiness, lock the door." Yeosang begged, exaggerating the last sentence.

Hongjoong scowled angrily—and Seonghwa was surprised at how scary he looked.  
"You should've knocked if you knew we were in here." He retorted, crossing his arms. "I've told you to knock like 20 times now, Kang Yeosang. I keep reminding you playfully and gently, but I've had enough, really. Didn't your mother—"

It’s like a switch went off in Seonghwa’s mind when Hongjoong said the word ‘mother’. They never spoke of Yeosang’s mother—it was taboo. So the beta’s hand pulled on the redhead's shoulder before he could say something destructive—something Yeosang would never forgive him for saying.

"Hongjoong, that's enough."

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, dear readers!  
> We wish you all health and happiness and hope you have—had, and will continue having—a wonderful day!


	10. Dazzling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> designer fasionista joongie

# Part Nine: Dazzling

Play this while reading this chapter

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/4PZzAqXNPk0tXZbVcBeqW6 ](https://open.spotify.com/track/4PZzAqXNPk0tXZbVcBeqW6)

* * *

Yeosang’s expression darkened, even if Hongjoong had been interrupted. He dropped his gaze but recomposed himself quickly. In less than two seconds, the rawest, saddest part of Yeosang morphed into his usual, snappy self. “Well, how was I supposed to know that you two would be going at it? I thought you'd both be _cleaning_ —not making out!" Yeosang huffed then turned towards San, the irritated creases in his forehead clearing. "I'm sorry you had to see that, they just can't keep their hands to themselves.” He said with a hopeless sigh. “Joong-hyung will help you find something perfect for tonight's feast."

Hongjoong took a deep breath and calmed himself, rolling his neck from side to side. He took ahold of Seonghwa's hand and wrapped it around his shoulder, pulling himself closer to the beta. "Yes." He said, seemingly refreshing his mood and putting on an easy smile. "It all depends on what you like and prefer—I won't force you to wear anything you don't want to. But keep in mind that I'm not the greatest out there when it comes to clothes, and that I don't know much about how your kingdom dresses." Hongjoong tilted his head regretfully; he always hated admitting his incapacities.

"Where I come from, it's cold. We live atop the mountain so we wear a lot of clothes for warmth. The air is always cooler there. I know if I wore those clothes here I would probably roast. I like Utopia’s style though, the clothes are comfortable. I'm just not used to wearing stuff that's so...exposing." He looked down at his cropped see-through shirt. "But I should look my best for dinner. What's the showiest thing you have?" San asked. He had to admit he liked making a memorable entrance.

Hongjoong nodded eagerly in agreement with San's statement; his passion for styling never failed to revive the vigorous flame in his eyes. "I've had this outfit in mind for days." He said excitedly, ungluing himself from Seonghwa. He hurried over to a wooden chair in the corner but froze when he reminded himself that they had cleaned all of the mess up. "Uh," Hongjoong swivelled around, his eyes scanning his workshop for the newly created clothes. "Seonghwa?" He whined playfully, scrunching his eyebrows together. "Where's the white outfit I mentioned? I left it on the chair."

Seonghwa chuckled—Hongjoong really did work better in disorder. He stepped over to the chest and pulled out a flawless pair of light pants. "Yes, thank you, Hwa." Hongjoong then rushed to the stand of jewelry and picked out a set of necklaces. "I estimated your measurements a bit—I can adjust them if needed." He spoke like a true professional—like he knew what he was doing. Like an old experienced shaman, the redhead waved Yeosang and Seonghwa out of the room. "Go away, we need our space."

When the two omegas were left alone, Hongjoong pushed San on a small stand. He pulled out his measuring tape and looked at him so eagerly and intensely that San could almost believe he was going to hit him with it—which explained why the former prince flinched when the redhead briskly wrapped the long band around his waist. Laughing at the other’s reactions, Hongjoong quickly finished with his measurements and hurried to fix up the clothes. San watched him do so with apparent awe: he had never seen someone handle a needle and thread so fast. Before he could even splutter out a compliment, the redhead stuffed the outfit into his hands and ushered him to the corner of the room where pale-colored curtains flew about. 

Slipping behind the curtains, San pulled on the clothes and rearranged the necklace on his chest and the jingling anklets on his feet. He was surprised at how nice it felt; it was loose and comfortable on his body. Exposed but comfortable. He stepped out so Hongjoong could see him better.

Hongjoong squealed happily—a certain sound the other consorts had learned to call _‘Excited Joong Noises’_ —when San stepped out, his hands clasping together in happy tiny claps. "You look amazing—it really suits you!" He basically basked in the self-praise as he watched the perfect result to his own ideas. 

"Would you like me to take away some of the necklaces? Or adjust the waist again? Do you feel good?"

"Thank you! I like the necklace, it's big and fancy. It's not getting in the way of anything so I'll keep it." San said as he looked in the mirror. He was honestly shocked to see how different he looked. "The pants fit perfectly. They make my ass look good." San added with a laugh, twirling to make the necklace and anklets jingle in a mystical way.

Hongjoong beamed at him and started actually putting his tools away for once—maybe Seonghwa would come to check on him after dinner and he would like something else other than cleaning to consume their time. "You know," He said as he rolled up the measuring tape. "Every time a new consort comes in, there's always this small period where we all just gape at their beauty, especially in the beginning. But I have a feeling we'll be gaping at your beauty for longer than that." He spoke genuinely. Of course, it couldn't compare to the awe he felt the first time he caught a glimpse of Seonghwa, but he was truly shaken at how good San looked. "From a designer's point of view, your proportions are really perfect." He said with a slight chuckle. "And from a human being's point of view, you're hella pretty."

San flushed and looked away, feeling flustered at the praise. He looked at his reflection again and then back at Hongjoong. "Do you think that Wooyoung will like this? Is it too much for tonight's dinner?" He asked, suddenly feeling a bit insecure.

"It's perfect—he'll definitely like it," Hongjoong said with a bright smile. "And he's the one who appointed me as a designer—I know what I'm doing."

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized this chapter was short as fuck  
> sorry yall, stay tuned for Wednesday.  
> i hope you all had a happy healthy holiday.  
> 2021 is almost upon us so let us raise glasses to a new year  
> *insert sans intro to answer*  
> -Taestful_Cherry


	11. Declaration of the Regretful One

* * *

# Part Ten: Declaration of the Regretful One

**Play this song while reading the chapter**

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/76vcQaU6QvT9CZ20q0Cl1z ](https://open.spotify.com/track/76vcQaU6QvT9CZ20q0Cl1z)

* * *

Then, a knock interrupted them. The door pushed open and Jongho appeared in the doorway. "We're ready for—woah." Jongho's eyes widened as soon as he saw San. "San, you–" He chuckled with a slight unbelieving tone, his eyes locked on the omega. San blushed at the way Jongho looked at him, another shade of red darkening his face. Jongho struggled to finish his sentence and ended up just abandoning it, clearing his throat before he turned to Hongjoong. "We're ready for dinner preparation. The King will be joining us in about 15 minutes but we need all consorts present now."

"Looks like we're just in time.” San flashed Hongjoong a warm smile. “Thank you, Hyung, I really love the outfit!" 

Hongjoong returned the smile, affectionately patting the other’s head. “I love how well it suits you, San-ah.”

Jongho forced his eyes away from the way San's pants rustled when he walked and his jewelry jingled when he moved. He met his eyes with a smile. "It suits you very well." He said, finally finishing the compliment he’d been unable to send a few moments ago. 

"All thanks to me!" Hongjoong chirped, appearing next to Jongho. 

The tallest of them backed away into the hall, mentioning for them to follow. "Seonghwa sent me to fetch you. It looked like he wanted to make a speech."

Jongho led them to the dining hall. San gaped at how big and ornate it was—like the whole entire palace, he guessed. There were two sections to it: the one inside, with a long wooden table and a grandiose chandelier; and the one outside, on the balcony, with large tan-colored cushions placed around small, round tables. Everyone was sitting around one of those tables, waiting—only Seonghwa was standing.

When Hongjoong scurried into the room, he immediately locked eyes with the head consort, a warm feeling pooling at the bottom of his stomach at the small smile he sent him. He ushered San and Jongho to their seats, eager for Seonghwa's speech. He was always eager for Seonghwa's speeches; they were the rare moments Seonghwa displayed his completely raw and genuine self to all of the other consorts.

San took his seat on one of the cushions. Yeosang had pushed him to the one closest to where Wooyoung would be seated and whispered: "Wooyoung is going to love your outfit." San flashed Yeosang a smile and got comfortable. Seonghwa spoke, cutting him off before he could thank the blond.

"Welcome to our—" The beta’s voice sounded into the room while everyone settled down. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—seventh welcome dinner!" He said, his eyes jumping from a consort to the other like a mother counting her kids. 

"I just want to take a moment and say that, well, you've all worked really hard. You worked hard today to make San feel at home—which I know San is very grateful for." He said lightly. Seonghwa was right: San already felt at home even if he had been there for less than 24 hours. 

"I just want to say that," This is where his voice took a sadder tone. "I'm sorry for not recognizing none of your work directly. You deserve the praise and pride. So I'm truly sorry. But do know that I do see what you do for the castle, for us, for Wooyoung, even if I don't acknowledge it. I do see you and I'm proud of you all." Hongjoong's gaze softened at Seonghwa's words.

"You all mean a lot to me, I hope you know that. But for now, let's give San a warm welcome to the family! I just hope we won't scare him away before he gets attached to us."

"Stop you're gonna make all of us cry!" Jongho said once Seonghwa had finished. The younger made a show of wiping fake tears from his eyes.

Yeosang swatted at the red-haired beta beside him, yet couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips at his overexaggerated reaction. He didn't say anything himself—and Seonghwa obviously noticed it. The two locked eyes for a few moments and Seonghwa immediately knew how much Yeosang cared for him back and appreciated him. No words were needed between the two to describe how much they meant for the other.

"Well, we wouldn't be able to do it if you weren't here to help keep us all in line like baby ducks." Mingi said, smiling. 

"And I'm sure we won't scare San away. He's already witnessed and survived Jongho's fruit breaking skills." Yunho said. 

"I already feel comfortable here. Everyone is so welcoming and kind.” San said brightly, smiling at all of them. “I was nervous when I realized I wasn't going to be the only one here. But you all seem so nice." 

Seonghwa smiled faintly at everyone's reaction, but silence soon overcame the room as the tall lean consort fell to his knees. Everyone looked at him with surprise and concern—was he okay? Was he hurt?

Seonghwa faced Hongjoong and bowed—the type of bow consorts only reserved for the palace elders; a bow of unconditional respect and praise. Seonghwa then moved on to Yunho. And then Mingi. Yeosang. Jongho. And finally, when he came to San, he rose to his knee and offered his hand for the omega to take.

San watched the beta, a bit confused, but awestruck—Seonghwa was showing how he respected each and every one of them to the highest level. He smiled at Seonghwa and took the hand as the other had offered him. 

Seonghwa rose to his feet and held San up with him, a serene expression on his face. He wrapped both of his hands around the new consort's and held his gaze. When he spoke, it was in a smooth, gentle tone. "I wish for your well-being and happiness here with us. From now on, we will always be by your side, all six of us. Welcome to Utopia, San." 

Hongjoong knew that Seonghwa was talking and that he was supposed to be whooping and clapping—but he couldn't bring himself to. He kept thinking about Seonghwa's bow. Anyone who watched the head consort's show would have told him he was overthinking things, but Hongjoong wasn't so sure. When Seonghwa had kneeled down in front of him, it took all of Hongjoong's self-control not to rush up to him and force him back up. 

The small redhead couldn't help the lump in his throat. Despite having lived in Utopia for countless moons now, Hongjoong's memories of his home still clouded his mind. There was one thing about where Hongjoong came from, something proper to the kingdom of Weishan, that the other kingdoms didn’t have. In this kingdom, bows like these were rare, but they existed. They represented respect and commitment—an universal meaning. But there was more to them in Weishan—they were used in marriage ceremonies. The alpha or the beta would bow in front of their mate, and this would be the act of swearing indubitable love and loyalty—a wordless promise made from groom to bride.

Any other Weishanese would understand Hongjoong's rush of confusion and the reason behind why he constantly spaced out after the bow. What none other than Hongjoong would understand was that he wasn't against the idea—and that was what scared him. It scared him that he was so close to betraying the one king that treated him well.

San looked at Seonghwa and smiled brighter as he looked at everyone else. "Thank you. You guys are all amazing." He felt the happiness bloom in his chest; it was a warm feeling. "You all are so kind, I can't wait to get to know all of you better. I already feel like I'm a part of a huge family." He said and pulled his hands from Seonghwa, then pulling the older into a tight hug. 

Seonghwa's face immediately brightened as he wrapped his arms around San. Then the scent hit him—he smelled unbelievably good. Seonghwa was emotionally attached to Hongjoong and his sweet aroma, but the scent wafting up to him now was something he could only compare to the attraction he would feel for a model on the runway. It was exhilarating.

The others smiled at this. It was always great to see someone get welcomed into the palace; and San seemed to be fitting into their rank perfectly. Then a small gong sounded and San pulled away from Seonghwa. Everyone looked towards the bronze doors; they swung open to reveal Wooyoung.

Still a bit dazed, the beta jumped when the gong sounded. Then, Seonghwa’s gaze met Wooyoung's and his temporary befuddlement melted away. The King's outfit was a blinding white, accented by an indigo blue. He had a long translucent sheet around his neck, then around his chest, tied up at his waist. He wore a large short-sleeved shirt, his muscled arms on display. His face was calm and peaceful, in ease as he ran a hand through his dark hair.

A slight smile appeared on the king's lips, and Seonghwa's mind completely blanked.

"Seonghwa," Wooyoung walked up to him and let his hand linger from a shoulder to another as he stepped around him. "You clean up nicely." A shiver ran down the black-haired consort's spine at the touch. 

Then Wooyoung's gaze landed on San. The hand sensually running down Seonghwa's shoulder froze. The king visibly swallowed, eyes wandering up and down the omega's body. "San."

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	12. Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year Everyone! 2020 was hard for all of us, but with a new year comes a new start! i hope 2021 brings joy to everyone!  
> ~taestful_cherry

* * *

# Part Eleven: Promise 

Play this song while reading this chapter

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/5pcc81u3VWmNaP3PJJgEED ](https://open.spotify.com/track/5pcc81u3VWmNaP3PJJgEED)

* * *

Wooyoung was beautiful. He had changed his clothes and looked absolutely stunning. San realized they almost completely matched, if it wasn’t for the blue trim that started around the king’s collar, continued down his chest and ran all the way down to his ankles. 

When Wooyoung turned to look at him, San bowed his head, feeling flushed and embarrassed at the gaze. "My King," He said softly. "You look good tonight." He looked back up at Wooyoung with a shy smile. 

Wooyoung recomposed himself after a small moment of hesitation. Hongjoong never failed to make everyone look simply majestic. "Thank you, you..." Wooyoung hesitated, unable to find the word to describe how pretty he was. Then he decided on just that. "You're really pretty too." He said, his speech level suddenly reduced to boy child-level.

San blushed a bright shade of pink at the words. _Why is he so cute?_ He went from a serious kingly persona to that of a small child in a split second. "Thank you." He said and mentally thanked Hongjoong yet again for having this nice outfit all ready for him.

After a few moments of silent cringing at himself, Wooyoung continued his way around the room. He squeezed Jongho's shoulder, and ran his fingers through Yeosang's light hair; he squeezed Mingi's cheek when he smiled at him and tugged on Yunho's earlobe—obviously referencing a private night together judging by the blush reddening the other cheek; finally, he reached Hongjoong and wrapped his arms around him, noticing how out-of-it he looked.

"Thank you, Seonghwa, for organizing yet another welcome dinner." Wooyoung looked up and jumped at the stare Seonghwa was giving him. A bit startled, he gently broke away from Hongjoong, returning to San's side.

"It was a pleasure to, Your Majesty. San deserves a warm welcome." Seonghwa erased the hostility off his face—one he obviously hadn't meant to project.

San watched the young king interact with the others each in a different way. Every consort reacted differently too: most flushed and beamed at his touch, but Yunho shamelessly let his hand travel before Wooyoung moved to someone else, and Yeosang swatted the king’s hand away with a playful eye roll. San was beginning to believe that Yeosang and Wooyoung knew each other as true—perhaps childhood—friends, not just in a king-consort context. 

He pulled himself out of his thoughts and bit his lip at the way Wooyoung embraced Hongjoong. He felt strange; a bitter feeling churned in his stomach, making his smile fade away and his face crisp grimly. Seonghwa seemed to have the same feeling, but there was something funny about his glare, something that made San’s eyebrow raise: his accidental anger was directed to Wooyoung, not to Hongjoong.

_Interesting..._

Another gong sounded when Wooyoung moved back to San's side. The doors opened again and servants came in; bearing trays, drinks and food of all different kinds. Followed by the food came musicians and dancers. 

Seonghwa made his way through the waves of servants to Hongjoong. He sat beside him quietly, crossing his legs in a childish position. He had been the first to notice Hongjoong’s change in demeanour. He noticed it when he first started the speech—but found that it strangely shifted when he kowtowed; and then it shifted again when San had pulled him into a hug. He knew that much, but had no luck in deciphering the emotions portrayed on the omega's face. 

He sat silently as he waited for Hongjoong to say something, but he stayed quiet. Seonghwa started to get worried. When he spoke, it was softly; he was convinced he had done something to upset the redhead.

"What did I say?"

Hongjoong pursed his lip, glancing at the beta before driving his gaze back to the plate before him. "It wasn’t anything you said." He sighed and poked at his food. "That kowtow.” He managed, blushing a deep red. “That’s a marriage thing in Weishen. It’s a bow reserved for marriage ceremonies.”

Seonghwa's heart dropped and the blood rushed up to his cheeks, colouring them a crimson red. He parted his lips as if to say something but no words came out. He didn't flinch even a bit when a rushed servant nearly tripped over his foot, but kept his gaze locked on Hongjoong, his eyes blank. Then he got over the uncomprehending phase and moved on to the emotion overload phase. Wave after wave of confusion, of embarrassment, of satisfaction and pleasure—then of immediate guilt—crashed into him. His brain could only think of one thing to say at that moment—a question that he had been itching to ask.

"If we were in your kingdom," He tried to keep the stammers out of his voice. "Would you have accepted me as... yours?"

Hongjoong’s expression softened. His pupils shook, darting from Seonghwa’s eyes to his lips. He’d almost replied immediately, without hesitation, but he paused to think. It was true that they were intimate and passionate, but were they as in love as Hongjoong thought they were? They turned to each other whenever Wooyoung wasn’t available—was that love? Or was it love that their entire romantic relationship was based around physical actions? But it wasn’t just as simple as that, Hongjoong realized. There was something more to it; something that tied them together; something that made them stick to each other. Was this what finding your soulmate felt like?

A faint smile curved his pink lips upward, his eyes finally locking with Seonghwa’s dark ones. “You know I would’ve.” His words were quiet and tender, loud enough for only Seonghwa to hear. 

Seonghwa felt like he would implode, a warm feeling spreading through his body. But that feeling still came with an edge; a blade laced with venom. It was tantalizing—he was so close to Hongjoong, yet so far from being able to spend the rest of his life with him like his question and its answer implied. Utopia allowed physical relationships among consorts, but nothing more—and it hurt. It's not that Seonghwa wasn't happy with Wooyoung—he truly was—it was just... Hongjoong.

"Don't you change your mind any time soon." He said, tossing away those depressing thoughts as he slowly recollected his brain cells. "If you do, I'll be extremely sad." His fingers found Hongjoong's and intertwined with his.

"I’m not letting you go, never ever.” Hongjoong huffed, squeezing his hand affectionately. “And besides, since we got interrupted, you still owe me a good time." Hongjoong grinned with a wink.

Seonghwa let out a puff of laughter at the audacity Hongjoong had, shamelessly making a sexual advance right after a deep talk—and in public, at that. Nevertheless, he welcomed it, giving Hongjoong's hand a squeeze before untangling his fingers from his. Instead, he let his hand stay on the redhead's lap, gradually rubbing up towards his inner thigh.

"Later." His hand movements betrayed his words. "I'll pleasure you later."

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	13. Answer

* * *

# Part Twelve: Answer

Play this while reading this chapter

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/76vcQaU6QvT9CZ20q0Cl1z](https://open.spotify.com/track/76vcQaU6QvT9CZ20q0Cl1z)

* * *

"Welcome to your first feast in Utopia!" Yunho flashed San a blinding smile.

"After we eat, some of us join the dancers—feel free to hop in! I’ll dance, and hopefully, Mingi–" Yeosang added, glancing at Mingi, and then pouting when he saw the beta shake his head with a laugh. “I guess not.”

Wooyoung fell down into his seat, settling comfortably against the cushions. He watched the servants zoom past him, and heard the musicians start a slow, serene tune. 

"You dance as well?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow at San, silently mentioning for him to join him. "You do have the body of a dancer." He noted out loud, unwillingly glued to the way the white fabric hugged his hips and how pale his revealed skin was: it was obvious he came from a northern kingdom. 

San nodded. "Yes, I do. It's great exercise, fun, and a good stress reliever.” He stated with a bright smile, his face lighting up at the mere mention of dance. “I love how free I feel when I dance, like nothing in the world can get me." He thanked a servant as they filled his glass with wine, but kept his excited gaze on Wooyoung’s. 

Wooyoung hummed acknowledging, before taking a small sip of the drink. "That's nice. I look forward to seeing you dance then." He said diplomatically, secretly relieved that their squabble didn't ruin their relationship for good. It was easier to talk to San now than it was talking to Jongho when he’d first arrived. 

"Maybe I’ll dance later." The omega said, taking a sip from his glass. "Yeosang and Mingi told me that they and the others dance for you sometimes?" 

"Yes, well, I like watching them dance. Of course, the performances they deliver are breathtaking, but honestly..." Wooyoung let out a sigh, scanning the room for those six faces that brightened him up each time he had a bad day. "Honestly, the best part of their dance is the practice. They practice so hard, it makes me feel... I don't know. Unworthy of how good they are to me?" He tilted his head, directing his gaze back to San.

"They all love you dearly, and, from what I’ve seen, they would do anything for you. Each one speaks so highly of you." He said softly. "You're worthy of all of them." 

"Hm." Wooyoung snatched a pair of bananas from a nearby servant and tore them apart, setting one down next to San in case he wanted one. Peeling his own banana, he contemplated his own party, noticing how mesmerized the omega beside him was by the dancers.

San began eating, eyes darting to the dancers as they glided about the room, colorful gossamer scarves floating in their wake. It was beautiful. The dance was nothing like the dance back home; they were smooth and graceful while the dances of the mountains were strong, sturdy and soulful. 

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" The alpha took a bite of the sweet fruit. 

"Their movements are so graceful. I've never seen dancing like that. My kingdom’s dances are nothing like this." San said, awestruck.

"My father's the one who normalized music and dance during parties or meals," Wooyoung said randomly. "I have a sneaking suspicion that it was actually my mom though—she used to dance with me when I was a child."

The omega looked back to Wooyoung. "Will I get to meet your parents? They sound like really nice people." 

Wooyoung froze in the process of eating his banana as he heard the omega's question. The consorts rarely had any type of meeting with Wooyoung's father—they only met when the consorts would go fetch medicine against illnesses or heats. Wooyoung's father was a former king, yes, but he had an unspoken passion for medicinal plants and mixing/blending them. As for his mother… "For her birthday two years ago, my father allowed my mother's departure back to her own kingdom. She said she would be back someday. I'm still waiting for her." He said, crossing and uncrossing his legs—a tick he still hasn't managed to control. "As for my father," He swallowed down the last of his banana before continuing. "If you're lucky—and if I take care of you well as I should, you won't need to meet him."

"Oh..." San dropped his gaze. Why did he always seem to bring up the worst things to talk about with Wooyoung? He should just keep his mouth shut at this rate. He awkwardly looked down at his plate, mentally cursing himself for bringing up such matters. "I feel like I keep bringing up touchy subjects," San said with a sigh. "I'm sorry if I seem to be nosy. I’m just curious, that's all.”

A pang of sympathy overcame Wooyoung's sulk, and a small smile danced at his lips. His hand reached out and touched those strands of pale hair once more—and Wooyoung realized how obsessed he was with them. "Don't worry too much about it. I'll get used to it." He said softly. "If anything, it differentiates you from anyone else. It makes you interesting."

San once again leaned into the touch. "I'm glad you think of it like that." He smiled. He sipped his drink again and looked up as he saw Yeosang get up to dance. The other omega joined the dancers with grace and matched up with their movements.

Wooyoung's gaze shifted over to the blonde omega. He let out a relaxed sigh, his eyes glued to the way he moved. Even after so much time with him, Wooyoung still couldn't get over how beautiful and delicate Yeosang looked when he danced.

"You know," His hand dropped down to San's knee, gently squeezing it as he spoke. "When Yeosang first arrived, he'd spend the entire day dancing. The dancers were happy to have such a young passionate consort to practice and dance with." He said, his soft tone of voice projecting his deep pride and care for the blonde. "He often just came to my room to sleep. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was gone." He chuckled, moving closer to San as he tried to find a better view of the performance Yeosang was putting on.

San listened, then nodded. "He's so graceful: I want to learn to dance as he does. He said he'd dance with me sometimes." He smiled. "Ah, so, er... Everyone was telling me that it's traditional for the new consort to spend their first night with you." San added softly.

Wooyoung tilted his head, driving his gaze back to San. He thought back to his conversation with Seonghwa and sighed remembering the advice the consort had given him. 

"Yes, well..." He hesitated, moistening his lips as he looked for the right words. "Does it–" He stopped and restarted his sentence, visibly struggling. "Are you alright with it?"

"I'm not opposed to it, if that's what you're wondering," San replied, feeling a bit bolder now that he had a few drinks in his system. "I would feel bad breaking a tradition." He said. Traditions were important in his kingdom: breaking one, even if it was in another kingdom, was unthinkable.

Wooyoung obviously noticed the omega's change in demeanor, and his eyes landed on the glass of wine San had been religiously drinking. Comprehension—concerning the consort's sudden boldness—rushed into him.

"Then, I'm glad." He said. A mischievous idea formed in the alpha's mind—one the holy bible would definitely not accept, but oh well. "What if I told you that the tradition has been modified a bit? The real tradition, dating back from when my great-great-grandfather received his first consort, was that the consort must spend their first week at the alpha's side at all times. Do you want to honor that one, or the new, modified one?"

San looked at him with a glint in his eyes. A whole entire week with Wooyoung? It didn't seem that bad. He could learn more about the kingdom, the customs and the daily palace life this way. Nonetheless, he still hummed, as if he was hesitating. He stayed silent for a few moments before speaking. "Why not? I'll learn more that way. I want to fit in here and that seems like a good place to start."

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow at San's immediate compliance. He hadn’t asked any questions and hadn’t shown any suspicion—except for that small moment of visibly fake hesitation. He genuinely hadn't expected the omega to believe him, much less to accept his proposition. "It's settled, then. You'll be the first consort in five generations."—more like the first ever, Wooyoung silently corrected. "I'll take you away as soon as the dinner ends." He planned out loud, straightening in his seat and focusing on his food when he realized it was getting cold. "Whatever task Seonghwa gave you, I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow. The first night is always the most important." Which meant that if he messed it up, Wooyoung would be in a hell of a pickle.

"You mean the others haven't done that tradition? Ever? I feel honored." San smiled. "Seonghwa just wanted me to tidy up the sleeping room but that can wait. I'll let him know I’ll be with you tonight." 

Wooyoung nodded, carefully bringing the smoked meat and the fresh vegetables up to his mouth. "As I said, you're interesting. Not like the others." He said after having swallowed down his bite. "It would only be fair for you to have a unique welcome." Wooyoung just hoped this week would bring them closer together, not farther apart—emotionally speaking.

San felt a small surge of pride course through him. Wooyoung thought he was interesting and not like the others, and they had just met. He also continued eating before he got to his feet. The musicians were playing a lively tune and he knew he could get lost in it.

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	14. Dancing Like Butterfly Wings

# Part Thirteen: Dancing Like Butterfly Wings 

**Play this while reading this chapter**

<https://open.spotify.com/track/1yJLIpzDhDzWM5irYR3trF>

* * *

When San rose from his seat, Wooyoung looked at him expectantly, noticing how energized the other became as soon as the upbeat song started playing. 

He watched as San stepped around the small corner of the room he had claimed as his, a little bounce to his step as he felt the beat of the music.

Wooyoung waited patiently, excited to see what the omega had to offer.

Then, he was blown away all the way to Saturn. When San started moving, it was in a hard, rough, soulful way, but it still had this smoothness and elegance to it. His gaze completely changed, as did his expression—he looked almost savage. The musicians, hyped up by San's loud and powerful footsteps, quickened their pace, dramatizing and intensifying the song to match the omega's vibe. 

Wooyoung was on Cloud 9. His gaze couldn't leave San's body, no matter how hard he tried to tear it away from him. He was mesmerized: he felt like a snake seduced by a snake charmer. He rose to his feet and let an amazed smile complement his shining eyes. All that was missing was the drool and the toy tiger, and he would be back to being a little boy again.

Everyone else at the table stopped what they were doing to watch. Everyone was shocked by the sudden change. San—the cute, happy, bouncy omega—was now looking fierce as he danced to the music.

San could feel the eyes on him and he could feel the music. He loved it. He loved every second of it as his body seemed to move on its own to the beat of the music. He made it up as he went eventually finding a rhythm. Soon, the music came to an end and he slowed before coming to a stop. He stood there, hair sticking to his forehead from the exertion. He looked to the table, to Wooyoung standing and then went back to his normal self, suddenly feeling bashful.

Wooyoung beckoned a servant towards him and took hold of a glass of water she was carrying. He stepped up to San and offered him the glass, his lips still harbouring an awestruck smile. "You were... so cool. Really really super duper cool." Wooyoung spluttered out, hating how simple his level of speech became each time he was flustered.

San thankfully accepted the glass from Wooyoung and took a long drink before replying. He looked at him, his cheeks dusted pink. "I'm happy you liked it." He said with a smile.

Wooyoung tilted his head at the omega's flush and replaced San's hair, trying to tame the random strands of hair. He then fixed the omega's necklaces and held his shoulders—this entire thing just reminding Wooyoung of how a mother would clean up her child; or how a husband would take care of his wife. As soon as he thought the latter, his heart badump-ed. It was crazy how one thought could completely change his vision of the position they were in now.

San felt giddy, the adrenaline coursing through him from the dance, and from Wooyoung at such close proximity. "Shall we sit down again?" San asked softly.

"Of course." He said, his mind still trying to make sense of the train of thought that had usurped from the married couple image. As they sat down, Wooyoung kept his eyes on San—on his perfect side profile, on his pink lips, on his rosy cheeks. He was beginning to think that if it was San that ran the kingdom of Starlight instead of his father, the two kingdoms wouldn't have been at war like this. "How long have you been dancing?" He forced himself to start a conversation, eager to pull the omega out of potential unease at his really unsubtle staring.

As soon as San returned to his seat, he relaxed. He wasn't hungry anymore; he just sipped at another glass of water a servant brought him. He looked up as Wooyoung spoke again. "Since I was a kid, around 10." He replied.

"That's impressive." Wooyoung said. If he had felt any type of awkwardness before, it had vanished now. "Who taught you?" Whoever had taught him, they had taught him well. Wooyoung's mind couldn't help but replay San's performance on loop.

"I had a dance instructor. She was really nice and taught me everything." San replied politely. "She's the best dancer from my kingdom."

"Ah." Wooyoung nodded acknowledgingly, sending a silent prayer to the heavens for the woman's talent and how well she taught San. 

"Did your mother dance?" He asked curiously—it was a normal enough question, even if it sounded weird at first. Mothers—wives of kings, whether they be male or female—were usually consorts chosen as brides. It was usual for a consort to dance, at least, that's how it was in the kingdoms Wooyoung was familiar with.

Following that train of thought, the words his father had said to him a bit more than half a year ago echoed into his mind. _You're still young, Wooyoung-ah,_ He had said, leaning against the wooden counter of the medicinal nursery. _But you'll soon need to choose your bride, the one who'll bear your child and create an offspring to take over the kingdom once you get old like me._

Wooyoung shuddered. He had to choose the mother of his child soon—which immediately eliminated Seonghwa, Mingi, Yunho and Jongho—before his father got irritated and started choosing for him, with his sense of duty as a father as pretext. 

As for now, he only had two possible choices, two omegas that could contribute greatly to the future of the kingdom; Yeosang and Hongjoong.

Then he snapped his attention back to San's bright smile, his perfectly curved nose, his thin eyebrows and his beautiful brown eyes. Wooyoung immediately realized that he had another option—another choice—called Choi San.

"She danced, yes. She danced so gracefully too, but she didn't dance as much as me. She said I was probably jinxed by a whisp when I was born, thus my funny hair and the love of music and dancing." He played absently with the white strand of hair. It had always grown in that colour ever since he was born. He didn't hate it: he quite liked it actually. 

His mother had told him it was a fae spell that had done that. In the kingdom of Starlight, nature spirits such as whisps and fae were good. Although mischievous creatures, they were seen as helpful—that is, if you happened to see one.

Wooyoung's eyes lit up at the mention of a whisp. He'd always been fascinated with these creatures. For him, they were mythical and rare—of course, because they mostly lived in forests, and even if Utopia had its greenery, it wasn't exactly the most nature spirit-friendly place. "Oh, that's so cool." He went off speaking like a child again, his gaze locked onto that blonde patch of hair again. "I love your funny hair." He used the same words San had used—again, his vocabulary toddler-like. It took all of his self-control to keep his fingers from touching San's hair again—he was afraid the omega would find it weird, considering how he had already touched his hair like five times that day.

San flicked the small strands out of his eyes, glancing up at them. He huffed softly: he liked attention, but constantly getting it in the form of concern for his hair wasn’t something he was super fond of. It was an odd color for hair at such a young age, so he was used to people examining it then asking if he was alright. "Maybe if you want I'll tell you stories of the wisps and faes of the woods." He said softly.

Wooyoung beamed at San's proposition, but hesitated before he replied. The servants had already started cleaning things up; he guessed that Seonghwa had called the party to an early end, seeing that Wooyoung kept San for himself only. If Seonghwa ever were to comment on that, Wooyoung already had an argument ready—San will live, sleep and wash in the same rooms as the others, which practically means that they'll have more time with him than Wooyoung will. So basically, he was trying to convince himself that he was selfishly keeping San like this because he just wanted to make up for the days they won't be together—definitely not because there was something about this omega that truly intrigued him.

"One each night." He finally said in reply to San. "A story each night, and I'll be happy."

San smiled. "That sounds like a good idea. I only hope I can remember that many stories." He curiously watched the servants clean the table. The dancers had stopped, but the music was still playing calmly in the background.

"If you can't remember a story about the fae," Wooyoung said, his voice softer and—was that a hint of shyness in his voice? Or was it just tenderness? "Just tell me a story about yourself instead. It'll make me more than happy." These words were more than just harmless flirts from king to consort—they were honest and genuine, displaying how much Wooyoung really cared for their growing relationship.

"Sounds good to me." San smiled warmly. Being with Wooyoung was nice. He'd known the alpha less than 24 hours and he already felt like he knew him forever.

When San smiled at him, Wooyoung's heart skipped a beat. "Y-You have dimples!" He stuttered, flustered. For as long as he could remember, he loved dimples. He found them cute and precious—he was obsessed with them even as a child. The alpha couldn't help the fingers that reached up to caress his skin, index fingers gently digging into the place the dimples had appeared on; his heart had practically melted. "You're so cute."

* * *

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	15. Truth

# Part Fourteen: Truth 

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/5iujP4oGYJCAacXaQHHJs2** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/5iujP4oGYJCAacXaQHHJs2)

* * *

San flushed. He hadn't noticed that one by one the others were getting up to leave. Wooyoung, on the other hand, had noticed. He watched Seonghwa—bless his soul—speak to them one by one, and usher them out of the door before sliding it close behind them. 

San’s smile grew and a laugh left his lips as Wooyoung poked the dimples on his cheeks. "You flatter me, they're just dimples." He said with another laugh. 

Wooyoung's heart melted once again at the other's laughter—San had the type of laugh that would make even the toughest of alphas smile. "They are just dimples," He agreed. "But they suit you so well that you make them look angelic." He continued smoothly, his fingers wandering up San's cheek and just enjoying how flawless the omega's pale skin felt beneath them.

San gave a happy purr at the touch and the kind words. He felt warm and fuzzy inside as the other spoke. As soon as he could feel the purr's vibrations, Wooyoung was overcome with an aggressive urge to pick San up, wrap him in a blanket and cuddle him. Wooyoung hadn't felt this intrigued and... attracted by a consort before. It messed with his mind—his obvious attraction to San, his soft purrs, his smile, his dimples, and his earlier thoughts about the marriage. Was this omega prince, descendant of the king his father had hated the most and royalty of the kingdom that had kept Utopia at war all these years, really the one he wanted as a wife? Wooyoung shuddered at the idea—but couldn't pinpoint even a bit if it was of repulsion or of excitement.

Then San noticed they were by themselves; save for the servants off to the side, ready to get anything for them if they wished for it, and guards by the door. "Everyone left?"

The alpha gently pulled back at the other's words, releasing a deep sigh as he swept the mostly-empty room with his gaze. "Shall we as well?" He asked, glancing at the omega. "Do you want to change out of your clothes? Or take a shower?" He suggested, rising to his feet once more. "I don't want you to feel like you can't do something as mundane as that in my company just because I am King."

"I'd like to take a hot bath actually," San admitted. He felt tired: the dancing had taken the last ounces of energy out of him, and he was still travel-sore from arriving at the palace that morning. "The others kept saying how nice the bathing area was, so I’d like to see what all the fuss is about. You're welcome to join?" He said bashfully, the flush spreading down his neck in red patches on his pale skin. He held out his hand to Wooyoung. "I should pick out clothes from my room so I can change afterwards."

Wooyoung was once again surprised to see how confident and suggestive San had become after just a glass of wine. He almost laughed out loud—the prince was the first Northerner he'd met that had such a low tolerance to alcohol. 

"The consort must be at the king's side at all times. This rule applies to the king as well." He said as a reply to his proposition, smiling at the hand offered to him. He took it and intertwined their fingers, surprised at how warm San's hand was—or maybe it was just his own that was cold. "Do you know the way to the bathhouse?"

“I think I d—” San interrupted himself and thought for a second. Then he realized he didn't know. He hadn't been shown to the bathhouse yet. "—don’t. I don’t. They didn't show me the bathhouse yet, but I do know where the sleeping room is. I’ll go get my clothes, and then you can take me to the bathhouse." San said brightly.

"Let's go, then." Wooyoung chirped, stepping closer to San as they walked. 

Now that he was painfully aware of how close they were, Wooyoung focused on the omega's scent, and was thrown aback by its aroma. At first, he'd caught the sweet scents of Hongjoong and Yeosang—both had probably been imprinted on him when they'd shown him around and given him his clothes. Then his nose caught San's fragrance. He almost tripped over his own feet; it was mouth-watering. He smelled like jasmine—those little white flowers that made him go crazy whenever he caught their scent.

Wooyoung forced himself to breathe and calm down, despite the flush of emotions inside of him disturbing the beast of an alpha inside of him from its sleep. "I'll wait for you out here." He managed to say when they halted in front of the golden doors. He was in no state to go wandering into a room full of scents that had stained his bed sheets more than once before.

San nodded and slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. The others—except Seonghwa and Hongjoong—were there in various states of getting ready for bed. Yeosang was looking for a night robe; Jongho and Mingi were dozing off in their separate beds; and Yunho was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking to want to cuddle Yeosang when he would be done with his night robe-hunting. Everyone looked up when San entered the room.

"Are you sleeping here or spending your first night with Wooyoung?" Yeosang asked curiously, a large thin shirt the colour of sand in his hands. 

"Staying with Wooyoung. I’m just grabbing some clothes." He hummed cheerfully, walking to his chest. He dug through it until he found his sleeping robe and a pair of fresh sleeping pants. He bid everyone goodnight and they wished him luck. 

Wooyoung waited by the door like a dog waiting for its owner. Then he realized how absurd that simile was; he wasn't owned by him. For what it meant, San was the owned one. Wooyoung immediately felt bad for thinking that; San was a person, not a pet. This inner argument with himself kept him busy until San emerged from the room. 

San left the room with butterflies in his stomach. He smiled at Wooyoung, realizing how great Wooyoung smelled as soon as he stepped into the hallway. Maybe it was because he had gotten used to the smells in the consorts’ sleeping room, and was now getting used to Wooyoung’s. Or maybe Wooyoung was releasing stronger pheromones to impress, or win him over. Whatever it was, San’s inner omega wanted to bask in Wooyoung's scent and just submit to him. "Okay, I have my sleep clothes for after the bath."

The alpha's gaze snapped up at the sound of his voice and he nodded, glancing at the bundle of clothes in his arms. "If you're ready, then we can go." He said, jerking his head towards the other freakishly long hallway that led to the bathhouse.

As they walked, Wooyoung tried to look for a subject of conversation to break the thick silence that had settled between them. It was not enough to make him uncomfortable but it did unsettle him how quiet both of them were around each other. "You know," He finally said, letting out a deep breath as he let his fingers run through his dark hair. "I never truly understand how our kingdoms came to hate each other like this. For all I know, it's because one of the two kings stole the other's piece of bread at a party in Neo." He let out a light laugh, remembering how baffled and uncertain his own father had been in front of 11-year-old Wooyoung when he'd asked the question.

"It was a trade war, actually." San replied, clutching his clothes closer to his chest. "A dispute over the mountain pass in the kingdom of Starlight. The traders started arguing for whatever reason, and it turned into bloodshed. The war escalated from there. Merchants began arguing and it worked its way up the ranks until it became a full-blown war between our traders and your traders. Neo pulled out while it could—same with all of the other kingdoms. While battles raged, they just traded with each other." San explained grimly. "I just think Starlight and Utopia should have settled it peacefully in the beginning. Trade is important; it's what keeps kingdom bonds strong."

"Oh." And now Wooyoung felt silly. He was a king who had carried on with this war without even knowing how it started. Not only that, his consort—the one he'd received as a gift of amity—knew better than him what had happened then. And judging by the tone he spoke with, he wasn't that delighted about it. "My father..." He hesitated, frowning at what he was about to say. "He never really _did_ anything. That's why I supposed it wasn't something that important; just a small squirmish."

Wooyoung might be rich and powerful, but he cursed his unknowledgeable entourage. It's not that they were all stupid—not at all, he knew they were quite smart. Yet if they'd known the real aloof reason of why the war started, why hadn't they told him? Speculation formed in his mind, conspiring against his father; his mother; his army generals; the council of elders. Maybe they'd been told to keep the real reason from Wooyoung—and the only coherent motive for that is because the kingdom of Utopia had made unspeakable decisions. A shiver ran down his spine; had Utopia done something else Wooyoung wasn't aware of?

"No, it wasn't a small skirmish. You’ve really never heard? It was a full-blown war. It mostly took place in my kingdom because no one wants to fight in the desert. I… I saw it first hand." San shuddered, a melancholic expression darkening his features. "When my parents decided for this treaty, I accepted. I didn't want to see my people suffer more than they had to. Now the trade is better and another trade route is in the process of being created, so hopefully, the war won’t happen again."

Wooyoung was disturbed by how much of this he hadn't heard. He was beginning to realize that he wasn't completely king like he thought. He was still being manipulated; whether that be by his father or by the council of elders. He innerly damned the hierarchy—of what use was it if it was so corrupted?

"I..." His mouth went dry as he remembered a certain sentence he'd said earlier that day.

_'I'm glad you recognize your faults. Need I remind you that you are not a prince anymore. Make sure you remember that. If you don't, I can't promise your kingdom's safety.'_

Wincing at his heartlessness, he mentally slapped himself. How could he have said that to him? "I'm sorry." were the only words that managed to come out of Wooyoung's mouth, regret and guilt eating at him like hungry monsters. "I'm sorry for what I said."

San looked at him, his gaze softening. "It's okay. It's in the past now, anyway. All that can be done is try to prevent something like that from happening again. That's how the world moves forward: we learn from our mistakes, and try to make the world better." He spoke quietly and slowly, hesitantly placing a gentle hand on Wooyoung's shoulder. "And I shouldn't have spoken that way to you this morning. It wasn't in my place to say things like that to you, and for that, I am deeply sorry."

Wooyoung sighed, feeling like an idiot and a hypocrite. It wasn't a nice feeling. 

Yet he listened to San speak and couldn't help but feel a hint of awe at his words; he spoke like a true prince—or a kingdom queen. That thought sent a shiver down his spine; there he went again, thinking about his choice of bride. When would this constant questioning ever end?

As soon as he felt San's hand on his shoulder, he took it and intertwined their fingers like before. "You won't hate me for the rest of your life, will you?"

"No. I won't hate you forever, because I don't hate you at all." San said. "Why would I use up my energy on hating someone? It wouldn't get me anywhere." He said and looked at their intertwined fingers. "Now, come on, let's go take a bath. I can hear the hot water calling my name already."

* * *

**HI ATINY WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

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**Thank you!**


	16. Twilight

# Part Fifteen: Twilight

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/5nwIDGQdpdWX16vEhSs3iZ** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/5nwIDGQdpdWX16vEhSs3iZ)

* * *

Wooyoung had to admit that he could spend the rest of his life in the bathhouse and he would never get tired of it. The Jungle Lounge was like heaven on earth for him—but the bathhouse was a room that truly felt like home, no matter how weird it was that it was a bathroom that did.

The room was tall and large, the ceiling curved like a dome above their heads. The air was hot and humid—a bit like in a jungle, which explained why Hongjoong liked the room so much—and smelled of eucalyptus. What Wooyoung liked the most about the room was the Midnight Pool; a bath placed outside of the room, on the balcony overlooking the sand dunes. The water there was lukewarm and comfort-giving, cozy in the cold temperature of the desert at night.

So, naturally, the alpha led San to the Midnight Pool, hurrying past the large bath dedicated to everyday use. "Jiyu." The petite maid he'd called to snapped her head towards him. "San and I are going into the Midnight Pool. Come check on us every thirty minutes." The maid nodded: this was normal procedure. The order he'd just given might be peculiar for other people, but it was important for Wooyoung. Ever since he was a little boy, his father had always ordered a servant to come to check on him every thirty minutes. As he grew, it somehow became a routine, even if he wasn't 6 years old and in danger of drowning himself anymore.

"This is beautiful." San said, in awe. The Midnight Pool was beautiful. The area around the pool itself was lit with candles. In the cool desert breeze, there was a bit of steam coming off the water showing that it was warm. There were a few small shelves off to the side with an arrangement of glass bottles. San went to examine them: each bottle was a labeled bottle of scented cleansing soap. A label on a jar read 'milk and honey', and San reached for it, placing it on the edge of the pool along with a small scrub brush.

He dipped a toe into the water to check the temperature. Deeming it warm enough, he started undressing. He removed his jewelry first then unlaced his sandals and placed them to the side. He pulled off his pants, folding them carefully and placing them to the side. He realized he was completely naked now, and that in front of a delicious-smelling alpha that technically owned him and his body. He flushed.

Wooyoung almost choked on his own saliva when San stripped off his clothes. What he couldn't suppress was the way his mouth gaped open at his perfect silhouette. His skin was pale and unmarked; Wooyoung couldn't help but wonder how soft and smooth it must feel. He had soft curves, and long flawless legs. His eyes wandered further up until he realized what he was doing—no, nope, Wooyoung is not going there. No matter how much he scolded himself for it, he couldn't stop his eyes from roaming San's body, and it was starting to become a problem.

"Your Majesty Wooyoung?" Jiyu called to him, but he still couldn't turn to look at her.

"Yes, Jiyu."

"Does... Does Your Majesty need help descending into the water?"

Wooyoung frowned, now jumping out of his daydream. "What? Why would I?"

"It's just that Your Majesty seems to be..." Jiyu didn't have the words to finish her sentence: she flushed a deep red when she realized what Wooyoung was doing.

"N-No! No, I don't need help. I'm fine!" The alpha spluttered, unwrapping the sheet covering his chest and dropping it to the ground.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, my King and Que—" _Damn you, Jiyu._

Wooyoung sent her a wild look. "Go. Away. Come back in 30 minutes."

San was going to playfully tease Wooyoung when he saw the other staring at him. But of course Servant Jiyu had to somehow ruin the moment. As they talked, he slid into the water and sat on the bench that was below the surface. The water came up to his chest in this position. His eyebrows went up at what Jiyu almost let slip. _King and Queen._ He was just about to launch into a long, deep, torturing inner debate with himself about that, but Wooyoung throwing off the sheet distracted him. _Gods be damned._ Wooyoung was hot: he was well-built with a lean but chiseled body. San wanted to touch him all over, but he fought the urge to do so. Instead, he relaxed into the water and looked up at the night sky.

Jiyu, looking all red and panicked, bowed about ten times as she backed away, leaving the two alone once more. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Wooyoung ran a hand through his hair, his free hand tugging at the drawstring keeping his pants in place. In a smooth, fluid motion, he pulled on it and untied the knot, ridding himself of his pants and dropping them in the small pile that had started to form out of their clothes.

Wooyoung tried to ignore the self-consciousness of being naked in a tub with San; it was neither the time nor the place to do what his imagination was beginning to create. He gently lowered himself into the water and sat opposite to San, following his gaze up to the white-flecked sky.

"I see the stars here every night." He said aimlessly, sinking further into the water until only part of his neck and his head were above the surface. He was about to go further down, but stopped when he felt his feet brush San's. It was small physical contact, but it was physical contact nonetheless—and Wooyoung is a sucker for physical contact. "It makes me wonder if they look different in the other kingdoms." He finished quietly.

"I studied the sky; it was a part of the classes in my kingdom. As you might know, my people pride themselves in being astronomers. Depending on the season, the stars move.” San paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. He absently returned Wooyoung’s touch, brushing his own foot back against his. “I can say that your sky is different, though. You have stars I haven't seen before.” He raised a finger towards the dark sky and mentioned vaguely towards the north. “I see some familiar stars towards the northern sky, but other than that, these are new. And they seem farther away too, maybe because we're not high up in the mountains."

Wooyoung glanced at San at the returned touch. He bit his lip to keep from saying or doing anything he’d regret, and returned his gaze to the sky; he was excited like a teenager with a crush—which was absolutely absurd. "As King, I thought I would be able to travel more." He said with a sigh, yielding to his urge to touch San again and resting his feet on the other's. "Utopia is nice and everything. I wouldn't change my home for another, definitely not. But this rule... The rule that a king must always stay at his palace, except in situations of war..." He let the sentence linger, unable to finish it properly. It truly angered him—but what could he do? As long as the current council of elders was alive, he would always be pressured into following in his ancestors' footsteps—which Wooyoung definitely did not want to do.

"I have to say, that’s a stupid rule. What do you do if you're invited to a party in another kingdom? Or a wedding in another kingdom? Or even—and most importantly—what do you do when you have to meet with one of the kings? Do they have to come here? In Starlight, my father had a second-in-command who would take over when my father had to attend a royal gathering outside of the kingdom."

Wooyoung let out a long sigh, realizing how much he longed to be independent and free to go wherever he wanted—as a true king should be. "Yes, well, in Utopia, either the other kings come here, as you said; or I send that second-in-command person you mentioned as a messenger and representative." He said. Then he realized he'd forgotten a major part of that rule. "But, once I decide on the Queen," He said the last word quickly and quietly as if it were a curse word. "I am allowed to travel, as long as our love is sealed and the kingdom officially our kingdom." He felt as if everything in Utopia was centered on having a bride, and it was beginning to piss Wooyoung off. "I am nowhere close to wanting or having a bride, so that's out of the picture."

"I'm sure you'll find someone. And I hope they like to travel." San said with a faint smile. He wondered if Wooyoung would choose from the consorts or find someone else. Wooyoung would have to have someone to produce an heir: Yeosang, Hongjoong and... San were all good contestants for the position. The first two had a better chance at the position than San, he thought to himself. The idea of having a kid did sound nice though: it was every omega’s wish to start a family. But being here, in this position, it wouldn’t happen unless the king allowed it.

Wooyoung hummed at his words, unconvinced. He met San's eyes and shifted in his seat, now mimicking the omega's position. "Do you?" He asked randomly, running his wet fingers through his

hair. "Do you like to travel?" Now, the way he said that right after San's words sounded like he was asking if he would be that person.

San looked at him, startled. Was he really asking him if he liked to travel? Or was he considering him for the position of Queen? "Yes, I…” He cleared his throat, shaking himself of the confusing thoughts. “I do, actually. I've been to most kingdoms—except for Shawol, and ElyXiOn."

Soft surprise morphed Wooyoung's features; their travel plans matched. ElyXiOn and Shawol were the two kingdoms Wooyoung really wanted to visit—ElyXiOn for its mysterious beauty, and Shawol because it was his mother's home kingdom. He then felt an urge to bring San with him: travelling with him sounded more pleasing than travelling alone.

For once in his life, Wooyoung's thoughts about finding a queen for Utopia quieted. He actually had hope now; and it was quite ironic. Who would've known that the one he'd be considering would be the prince of Starlight?

"You're lucky." He sighed contently, looking back up at the sky. "Speaking with my consorts is my only way to really learn about the kingdoms. It feels like a mini-trip each time one of them reminisces." His voice got quieter and quieter as he spoke, his resting contentment mingling with melancholy; it pained him that this was the only way he could 'travel'. It shook him how close he was to deeming this dream doable.

* * *

**HI ATINY WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	17. Memories of Starlight

* * *

# Part Sixteen: Memories of Starlight

Play this while reading this chapter:

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/7MsvQqSNYpQp0f3ED0wdHQ ](https://open.spotify.com/track/7MsvQqSNYpQp0f3ED0wdHQ)

* * *

"If you'd like, I can tell you all about Starlight. If you're interested that is. I'm sure that once you get married, you'll be able to travel. You could even take your queen back to their home to visit if you marry out of the kingdom!" San said. He really wanted to make Wooyoung feel better.

_If I stick to what you said, I will be able to see Starlight firsthand._ –was what he almost said. But he bit the words back, his cheeks reddening at how confident he suddenly was in his choice. He refused to make such an important decision so impulsively—especially not if this was the first ever night they would be spending together.

San reached for the soap and pulled himself up out of the water to wash up. He wasn't ashamed of being naked; quite the opposite, he was proud of his body. He sat on the edge of the bath, his legs dangling in the water as he covered his body in the soap.

"Starlight..." He started as San rose out of the water. His eyes immediately locked to the other's pale skin, but he forced himself to continue. "Starlight has always been some type of mystical, unattainable kingdom to me. It'd be refreshing to hear about it."

"It is refreshing if you like the cold.” San grimaced. “We're located at the top of the tallest mountain. The rest of the kingdom lives along the mountainside. The twelve second tallest mountains form a circle around the castle’s mountain, and they each have shrines at their peak dedicated to the twelve zodiac constellations. Once a month, we have a celebration for one of the zodiac constellations. Twelve months, twelve zodiacs, twelve mountains. Those celebrations lasted all night. They were so much fun." San said wistfully. He was going to miss those celebrations: the music, the dancing, the sky lit up at night with all the stars.

As soon San spoke, Wooyoung's imagination went to work. He imagined the mountain, the palace, the twelve, shorter mountains. He imagined the rocky landscape and the cold breeze. He imagined the dark sky, the flying bright colors, the laughs and the screams. He imagined the deep-toned music and the strong powerful dancing. He imagined all of it; and absolutely adored it, without even knowing how it truly was—or if it really was as mind-blowing as he imagined it to be.

"It sounds... awesome." He murmured, suddenly feeling sorry to have ripped this happiness from San. If he hadn't continued on with this war in the first place, he wouldn't have been rid of his family, of his kingdom, of his home. Then again, if he hadn't continued on with this war, he wouldn't have met him, not in 10 years. "What did you do during those parties?"

"I was a dancer. I was a part of the ceremonial dancers, so once a month we would do the dance for whatever festival was taking place. It was an honor really, dancing for the gods." San said thinking about the many times he danced in front of the shrines in the ceremonial clothing. "I miss it, but that’s in the past now." San said softly. "Who knows, you might find me dancing in the starlight one night…?" He mused, grabbing a cloth and wetting it before wiping it across his skin.

Wooyoung's gaze followed the piece of cloth as it ran up and down the other's skin, as if mesmerized by the simple action of San washing. "I'd like to see that." He replied quietly, his lower lip disappearing behind his teeth when he bit it. "I'd like to..." The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them. "I'd like to dance with you." Wooyoung completely froze when he realized the words were out. He immediately flushed, his cheeks turning a crimson color. Here's the thing about the kingdom of Utopia: not only was it super controlling when it came to brides, it also was controlling when it came to what a king couldn't do without a bride. One of the first things Wooyoung was told when he was offered the throne was this: he wasn't allowed to dance with anyone before he married—for that would seal their souls together.

"I would like to dance with you too.” San continued on nonchalantly, not noticing—or just not reacting—to the king’s flush. “Maybe I could teach you the dances one time and we could dance under the stars together. I plan on visiting the Sky Lounge some time soon. They were telling me it's an observatory. I think that will be my comfort place to go when I miss home. I know they'll be seeing the same moons we see here even if the stars are different." San said and looked up at the three moons in the sky, two of which were half full and the third was only a crescent.

"I could bring you there tomorrow." Wooyoung suggested, slowly overcoming his earlier bafflement. _Let's just pretend I never said that,_ was the thought that finally closed the subject; the alpha refused to dwell on it more.

"I'd like that! We can go tomorrow night! I want to see the stars. It will be like being on the mountains again." San said brightly. He washed himself up and then sank back into the water welcoming the warmth.

"You know the three full moons are coming up in a few years time, right? It's said to bring gifts with it: children are said to be born with powers; and lands are supposed to be touched with blessings." He said. "It only happens every 400 years so it's special. I hope I can get back to Starlight just for a few days to see the festival. I know it's a few years away but I'd still like to see it."

Wooyoung leaned for his own bottle of cleansing soap—his usual aloe vera-based solution placed at his reach next to the pool. He hummed at San's words yet kept his eyes on the bottle and the viscous pale green soap.

The king let out a laugh before replying. "Yes. Mrs. Kim, our kingdom's spiritual shaman, has been praying to the three full moons for Utopia's prosperity for two years now." Wooyoung paused before continuing, now sharing something he hadn't told anyone before. "I'm planning... I'm planning on releasing all of the consorts on that day. The Three Full Moons day. It's a special day that they should spend with their families." He let out a sigh and averted his eyes, seemingly very focused on applying the aloe vera on his arms. "I'm afraid the council of elders won't let me though."

"You're the king, yes? Then you have the power to overrule them, and it's a special day. Every kingdom has its own important celebration. So I'm sure they would understand." San said and reached for another bottle of honeysuckle shampoo and started to wash his hair. He ducked under the surface for a moment to wash the soap from his dual colored hair.

Wooyoung laughed bitterly. "I might be the king, but I'm not all-powerful." He rose to his feet and washed himself thoroughly, supposing that they were over the awkwardness of nudity at this point. "The council is very conservative and strict, at least while I'm reigning. They were a lot cooler when I was a child—but that might just be because I was still the young prince, the only heir to the throne of Utopia." He gently eased himself back into the water, pursing his lip as he mentally picked out what was 'safe' to say from what wasn't. "The wisest and kindest of them passed away less than a year ago. She had been their leader—and what was the most important was that she trusted me to be a good king, and let me do whatever I thought was best. Now that she's no longer with us, I guess the others decided to bring me back into place a little, to avoid letting me get carried away.”

San listened with a neutral expression. _Wow, the kingdoms did have different ways of ruling things._ Starlight seemed to have more freedom; there was no council—well, there were elders but they were in charge of the shrines. "I'm sorry to hear of her passing. It's only a suggestion, but maybe if you proved yourself to be a good ruler—like you do something amazing for the kingdom—maybe the council would see you mean good and loosen up?" San said softly.

"I doubt it." He smiled at San's attempt to lighten him up, a warm feeling spreading in his stomach at the other's concern and implication. "I normally wouldn't wish for anyone's death but..." He chuckled darkly instead of finishing his sentence, childishly forgetting he was king of the richest kingdom in Aurora for a moment.

At that moment, Jiyu’s round face peeked into the room. She bowed her way into the room, and quickly obeyed when Wooyoung silently motioned for the bottle of honeysuckle cleansing soap. He thanked her with a dip of his head, and she disappeared back into the main room.

"Well,” San hesitated, dropping his gaze. “I… I did mention it earlier today, but… you're worried about the water supply, yes?” His brown eyes flashed back up to Wooyoung’s.

"Ah, yes, the aqueducts." Wooyoung moved seats to sit closer to the other. He wrinkled his nose, hesitating for a second at the scent wafting off of San. It was his jasmine scent, but it smelled sour; Wooyoung realized that the omega was nervous—nervous about his reaction. The king thought back to their first conversation and internally winced at the way he'd overreacted before. He had an excuse: he had been stressed and preoccupied with his own troubles.

“You could create some sort of aqueduct system. Forget having it be above ground; in the hot sun, the water would evaporate. You could make something underground—like a pipeline of some kind. It would be easiest and wouldn't require crazy feats of engineering. You could talk to Neo and get some kind of blueprint." San said nervously.

"It's a good idea." Wooyoung settled down next to him and smiled, releasing calming pheromones to try to comfort the omega. For him, it was an indirect way to apologize once more. "But we're not allied with Neo. We are with Weishan, though, so we might have it work like that. Thank you for the idea."

San relaxed when he was hit by the alpha’s calming scent of coconut. He realized how unusually sweet it was for the scent of an alpha, but it was mesmerizing. When Wooyoung moved close, he rested his head onto his shoulder. "You could always form an alliance." He shrugged.

Wooyoung's shampoo-coated hand froze in his hair as he felt San's head drop onto his shoulder. He thought back to the glasses of alcohol the omega had downed and forced himself to calm down: he didn't want to risk doing anything to him, or take advantage of him while he's intoxicated.

San tilted his head slightly so he was sniffing the crook of his neck—where his scent was the strongest. He hummed. "Fuck, you smell so good." He breathed out, losing his inhibitions in less than a second.

The alpha's serenity faltered at the other's words. His free hand wrapped around the other's waist; he shivered at how soft his skin felt—it was just as he had imagined it. "So do you." He replied quietly, that jasmine scent deafening the thoughts screaming at him to control his urges.

San hummed softly and didn't move from the spot on Wooyoung's shoulder. He stayed put, inhaling the scent. He wasn't that intoxicated actually; he was actually pretty sober. The drinks had worn off. He smiled as he felt the other’s arm around him. He quite liked this being held gently. Now he was feeling sleepy. The day's events had finally caught up with him and he yawned cutely before pulling away and rinsing off once more.

_He left._ Wooyoung realized, hesitantly resuming his washing. A wave of disappointment washed over him, but part of him was glad that he did before Wooyoung lost his self-control.

He quickly finished up, burying this dissatisfaction deep inside of him.

"Jiyu!" He called for his servant and she immediately appeared on the doorstep. 

"Yes, Your Majesty. Do you want your robe?"

Wooyoung smiled at how well the girl knew him: he nodded and she bowed to both him and San before eclipsing herself again. 

* * *

**HI ATINY WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**


	18. On A Cold Night

# Part Seventeen: On A Cold Night

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/4g429S9DBkgold5zSRTJQa** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/4g429S9DBkgold5zSRTJQa)

* * *

San stood, pulling himself out of the water. He shuddered as the cold breeze hit him, but Jiyu—bless her soul—had been considerate enough to bring him a warm and dry towel. He dressed quickly and quietly, his movements first eager to cover his body from the cold, then becoming sluggish when he released another yawn.

The alpha lifted himself out of the water and went to stand next to San. He gazed at him silently before delicately placing his hand on his head, enjoying the texture of his hair once more. "You're tired?" It sounded more like an observation than an actual question, but his light, easy tone took on the inquisitive tone almost automatically.

"I am.” The omega relaxed his eyes, leaning against the hand. “I will sleep well tonight, and perhaps late tomorrow.” He said with a sigh. Then he stiffened and straightened, folding his hands together. “If you have no duties for me to attend to, that is." He puffed out a small laugh, flashing him a charming smile; the smile he gave opposed the nonchalant, neutral-opinionated tone of his words.

"I'll let you sleep." Wooyoung smiled at how cute the other was: he just felt an overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around him and cuddle him until he fell asleep. The fact that he knew that he could actually do that, now that their relationship had mended, was exhilarating. He gratefully accepted the towels and robe from Jiyu and dried himself off.

"My room's not too far from here." He told San, walking back into the interior room. "I don't have to carry you just for a short hallway, do I?" He glanced at the omega with a playful smile.

"Only if you’d like to carry me." A mischievous smile tickled San’s lips, but he quickly hid it with another yawn. He wouldn't mind being carried; in fact, the idea of being carried by an alpha king didn’t even sound a bit unpleasant. "Well… Maybe you could carry me."

Wooyoung basically melted at the reply. Laughing, he pulled San closer to him in a hug, wrapping his arms around his waist securely. He then lifted him up, making sure he was stable and comfortable. "You're lucky I like you so much." He huffed as he took long strides towards his room.

San’s lips parted in silent surprise when he was lifted off the ground. He’d expected Wooyoung to laugh it off and forget about it, not to actually obey to his wishes. Overcoming his initial surprise, he wrapped his arms around Wooyoung's neck and his legs over the other’s hips, clinging to him as a sloth would cling to a tree. He rested his chin on the alpha’s shoulder. "I'm glad you like me. It would suck if you hated me."

While he walked, the king buried his nose in San's neck, taking a deep breath of the jasmine scent. As he exhaled, he almost released a satisfied 'mmmh', but he stopped himself before he could suffer the embarrassment of doing so.

_Keep your eyes straight ahead,_ He told himself to stop getting distracted. Despite that, he still nuzzled the omega's neck and its floral perfume; and he realized how much he wanted to taste it.

(Stream MMMH by Kai dont be shy) 

They soon entered the royal chambers. Wooyoung's room was huge and ornately decorated with colored banners and curtains. The bed had a canopy around it; the curtains could be pulled around so the occupants of the bed couldn't be seen. The whole room smelled of Wooyoung; it drove San’s omega crazy.

Wooyoung carried the consort over to the bed, gently easing him onto the sheets. Only now, when they lay on the bed together, Wooyoung trapping the other underneath him, did he actually realize how strong his physical attraction for him was. He wanted to kiss him, to pleasure him, to make him his—and it scared how much he wanted him. Maybe it was for the satisfaction of dominating someone from the Starlight Kingdom after these years of back-and-forth fighting. Or maybe it was because they were just... meant to be.

Before he could get carried away with this train of thought and force San into something he maybe wasn't ready for, Wooyoung rolled to the side, collapsing against the soft pillows with a deep sigh. "Do you want to sleep with me?" He flushed a deep red. "I–I mean, are you okay with sleeping in the same bed as me? I can sleep on the sofa over there if you're uncomfortable."

San flushed with Wooyoung. The saying had two different meanings, and the alpha had done right precising what he meant. What made San so startled weren’t his words—at least, not completely; it was the way he realized that, right now, he was open to either option. "I–I'd like to sleep with you. Whichever kind of sleeping." He stuttered out. "You haven't marked me yet... Everyone else has a mark."

"You..." Wooyoung's throat went dry. "You want me to mark you?" A shiver ran down his spine as he sat up, tilting his head at the omega.

Marking was never something he did the first night. He'd only ever done it when the consort had told him that they wanted to be marked, that they wanted to be his. And now this omega—the one he feels a whole lot for, and the one he was considering as a candidate for marriage after less than 24 hours—was directly telling him that he wanted to belong to him.

Wooyoung shifted towards San, crossing his legs and moistening his lips. "Are you–Are you sure you want to? You..." He tried to push away his fluster but to no use. "Are you sure you want to be mine?"

San sat up as well. He nodded. "Please, I really want it. I feel like I belong here. I want to know I belong here with you, as yours." He felt butterflies in his stomach as he spoke. He undid his robe and let it slide off his shoulder, exposing the unmarked skin of his collarbone and neck.

Wooyoung's jaw dropped open, rebelling against his brain screaming at him not to mess this up. His brain was doing a whole lot of screaming lately—it was starting to become unhealthy. He struggled to contain his urges until he completely gave up. He tugged on San's wrist and pulled him on top of him, both of them falling onto a plush pillow. He gently placed his nose where it had been earlier: right in the crook of his neck. He inhaled his sweet scent and slowly let his lips brush up the omega's neck to his jawline. They reached San's lips but didn't dare touch them; he just waited, just a few millimetres separating them, his eyes half-lidded as he looked at San.

"San-ah. If you just want me to mark you to fit in..." His voice was barely louder than a whisper. "Then you're making this decision for the wrong reasons. If I mark you..." He took another deep breath before continuing his sentence. "I'll own you. I'll own every cell of your being. I don't want you to do this just because the mark on the other consorts looks cool. Are you sure you want this?"

"I want to be yours, Wooyoung. I do." San replied breathily, the quick small gasps matching the rhythm of his racing heart. He closed the distance between them and kissed the corner of Wooyoung's mouth, testing the waters. "Mark me, Alpha." He said. "Please."

A tingle running from head to toe and confidence replacing his uncertainty, Wooyoung caught San's lips into a kiss. His hands rested on the omega's lower back; he didn't dare go any lower. He might’ve been able to control his actions, but he couldn't control his pheromones; with his excitement, his scent came off wave after wave, more powerful and omniscient. It was clear that his body recognized the presence of the omega; and that it was trying to seduce him—as if he wasn't already whipped enough for Wooyoung.

San whimpered into the kiss, meeting the other’s lips with just as much passion. His body went lax as his inner omega reacted to Wooyoung's pheromones; the scent overwhelmed all of his senses, filling his mind with just Wooyoung. San wanted more than just this kiss: he wanted all of Wooyoung.

Wooyoung's heart skipped a beat at the sound San released, his hands wandering up the omega's back. He deepened the kiss and pulled San impossibly closer, enjoying how natural it felt to kiss and touch him like this. They pulled away from breath and Wooyoung took a moment to admire San's delicate features. He made a move to kiss him again but mischievously escaped, tilting his head so his lips would be level with the omega's ear instead of his mouth. "What made you want to be mine so intently?"

San would have thrown a whole tantrum if the undertoned growl in Wooyoung’s voice hadn’t excited him so much."Because my wolf is telling me that we belong together." San replied simply, more breathless than he should have been. His chest was rising and falling quickly as he struggled to regain his breath.

"I haven't heard that one before." The alpha said playfully, a quiet laugh escaping his lips. "But if it's what your wolf is telling you..." Wooyoung kissed his cheek and let his lips wander down his neck. He tenderly pressed kisses to his scent glands, humming at his taste. "I guess I have to obey, don't I?"

"Wooyoung, please.” San gave a soft whine as he felt Wooyoung's lips on the most sensitive part of his neck. “Just do it. Don’t tease me. Please." San tilted his head, wanting oh so desperately to become his.

Wooyoung now did the most Wooyoung thing ever: he continued teasing him. He let his teeth graze the omega's skin, hard enough to have him feel it but not to actually imprint a mark. He actually enjoyed hearing how needy and whiny San was becoming, and he wanted to hear more. "This is your last chance to back down, omega." The king's voice dropped down to an animalistic growl as he spoke, even if his tone was still that same playful one.

San whimpered at the words and shook his head, fisting Wooyoung's robe. "No, I want this. Please make me yours. Alpha, _please_." He begged plaintively. He tilted his head and nuzzled into Wooyoung's neck, placing kisses over the alpha’s skin. Oh, how he wanted to bite down on him, but he didn't dare. That would bind them together and make them one; it was only reserved for whoever Wooyoung's queen would be. San whined at the thought; as much as he judged it stupid or childish after less than 24 hours of knowing him, he wanted Wooyoung to be his.

Grinning at San's whines, Wooyoung decided that he was satisfied. He first lapped a bit at his skin, once more savouring the sweet taste. Then, without any warning, he sunk his teeth into the omega's neck, finally giving San what he was begging for earlier. He gently pulled away and admired the mark he had placed on his skin, not wasting any time to attack his reddened neck with kisses again. "Are you satisfied, San-ah?" He hummed against his jawline.

San couldn't help the pleasured moan that fell past his lips as Wooyoung bit down and marked him. It hurt, but it felt so good. "Yes, I'm satisfied." He said with a sigh. He playfully nipped at Wooyoung's earlobe. "I'm yours."

Wooyoung chuckled quietly and carefully pushed San to the side onto the mattress, having them both lay one next to the other on the bed. "You're mine." He echoed, shifting closer to the omega and leaning his head against the other's. His mind played on loop the sound San had produced when he had received the bite, and he knew right then and there that he wanted to hear more. He was just about to jump onto San again, but his body refused to move. He then realized how drained of energy he was; he guessed being with San really took his mind off of everything bad. "I didn't think you'd want to be." He added quietly, lazily kissing the top of his head. "Not so early, anyway."

"Yours..." San just smiled and cuddled into his embrace, resting his head on the other’s chest and listening to his heartbeat. "I didn't think I'd want to be either, but after today I feel like I've known you forever."

_But you don't. You don't know a thing about me._ Wooyoung bit back the words, squeezing San against him as a reply. He was tired, but he kept his eyes on the moonlight-illuminated room, listening to the omega's slowing breaths and breathing in his jasmine scent.

* * *

**HI ATINY WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooo- this is minki~
> 
> this chapter marks the end of a night-  
> next chapter will be a time skip of five months—I just wanted to mention this to avoid potential confusion, even if this exact information will be mentioned at the beginning of next week's update
> 
> thank you for enjoying Utopia, and have a good day~


	19. Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o k a y
> 
> so we made it to the first explicit nsfw chapter
> 
> a little reminder that this is five months later—five months after San's arrival.
> 
> SO YES. this chapter is basically all smut, so don't read this in class—
> 
> skip down to the end notes for a small resume of what happened if you're not into smut
> 
> enjoy--

# Part Eighteen: Desire

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/51tzXPGX5i0MJiGENFQ8HB** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/51tzXPGX5i0MJiGENFQ8HB)

* * *

Yeosang didn't know what was happening to him. He tried to obediently watch over the lounges, occasionally dusting furniture and replacing decorations; but he kept getting distracted. Each time he passed by Yunho's possessions or Yunho himself, he would get a tug in the stomach, something similar to what he felt when Wooyoung was around. He found it strange, but just considered it a small side effect of the anti-heat medicine he had taken a few days ago, even if he didn't usually react to the medicine this way.

The excuse Yeosang had made up for himself completely disappeared once Yunho came to see him when they were on break together. He'd surprised him: Yeosang had been chugging down a bottle of water when he felt arms snake around his waist, a chin rest on his shoulder. He almost choked on the water. Yunho's scent was strong; Yeosang had the impression that he was bathing in green tea. "Yunho." He gasped, stiffening under the other's embrace. "G–Get off." Yeosang would rather keep a safe distance with Yunho than give in to the urges building up inside of him.

Yunho was just as clueless as Yeosang. He felt uncomfortably hot, hotter than he’d ever felt—and he lived in the desert. His throat was dry no matter how much water he consumed, and his head throbbed painfully. He tried to do his daily tasks, but could never manage to finish one: he couldn’t focus at all. So he’d just been stumbling around, pretending to work whenever someone walked past. He’d met up with Seonghwa at some point. Their exchange had been short and was hazy in Yunho’s mind; at that point, pure confusion and a dreamy feeling had been clouding his mind. What he did remember was Seonghwa telling him to take a break, and he’d gratefully obliged. He’d moved to the sleeping room to lay down and try to sleep the discomfort away, but instead, the heat just doubled violently. All rational thoughts had fled his brain at this point; he recognized Yeosang’s sweet floral scent and found himself getting thirsty for it, for him.

Now, Yunho gave a whine and only held onto Yeosang tighter. "Sangie," He said, voice lower than usual. The nickname just sent a shiver down the omega’s spine: the last person to have called him Sangie wasn’t someone he’d like to remember. "Don't push me away, please." His voice was breathless, as if he’d just ran across the desert on foot. "You smell so good, Sangie." He hummed and buried his face in the crook of the other’s neck.

Yeosang instinctively bared his neck; then he cursed that same instinct for having him be so submissive. Despite the way his body told his mind that he wanted Yunho, his brain still refused to yield. It was at work: did betas have ruts? Why would Yunho suddenly be so aroused? Yunho was usually the one with the most control over his hormones and pheromones. Then an idea hit Yeosang. _Unless..._ Deciding to test his theory, he carefully put the bottle down and took quick control over his scent. Controlling his pheromones was a skill Yeosang had worked hard to perfect, and he was now incredibly glad for the countless times he had exhausted himself to do so. He released strong pheromones—those omegas usually released when they were in heat. If Yeosang's theory was correct, then Yunho would be..."Yunho-ya." Yeosang spoke again, his tone soft and careful. "Do you want me?"

A growl ripped through Yunho as Yeosang bared his neck. _Fuck._ His mind was clouded by arousal and lust; all he could focus on was Yeosang. That's when the scent hit him like a wave, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Yeosang smelled so good, Yunho felt himself getting hard. "Yes, I want you." He said, growling low again. He kissed and sucked a mark on Yeosang's neck. Knowing he wasn't allowed to actually bite the other was practically painful.

_He reacted to the pheromones._ Yeosang realized, awestruck. They were the type of pheromones that were released by omegas during their heat, yes, but because of that, only alphas could actually catch them. Betas would be able to perceive a difference, but they wouldn't have such an effect on them as they would have on an alpha. All of this added up to how Yunho was kissing and nibbling around where an alpha would mark their omega. It hit him: Yunho was presenting as an alpha.

Yeosang basked in Yunho's scent and relaxed under his touch, the omega in him exhilarated to be so close to an alpha having a rut. He curved against Yunho's body, and was surprised—but delighted—to feel how excited the alpha had already become. Moving quickly but smoothly, with the grace of a dancer, he escaped Yunho's grip and spun around, now facing him. Yeosang almost yelped out loud at how savage, how aggressive he looked. He had witnessed an alpha rut before, but never one present. He soon overcame that initial surprise and pulled himself closer to Yunho, teasing at a kiss.

"I'll give you what you want, alpha." At those words, he pushed him towards his own bed, both of them landing on the soft mattress. "I'll give you what you want, but..." Yeosang tilted his head, intelligent eyes burning into Yunho's. "You have to stay mine. Only I can pleasure you when you need to be pleasured. Understood?"

This might sound selfish when you look at it like this, but Yeosang knew what he was doing. He didn't know what Wooyoung would do if he found out that Yunho was an alpha—and he didn't want to risk knowing. Yeosang had himself convinced that they would be able to keep it a secret. Wooyoung had told him about his thoughts about marrying San—which did sting a bit at first, but now motivated him more than ever to protect Yunho. They only had a few months left, a year at most, and then Wooyoung would let them free. If they managed to keep the secret until then, Yunho would be safe.

"Yes, yes I will. I'll only let you pleasure me. Only you, Yeosang." Yunho's pupils had dilated from the arousal, giving him a wild look. _My, how the tables had turned._ It should be him hovering over Yeosang, but this was different, and he loved it. “Sangie~” He loved the way Yeosang looked at him with dark, almost secretive eyes; the way he seductively licked and bit his pink lips. "Please, let me fuck you~"

Yeosang didn't waste any time. He had their lips meet while his hands slid down Yunho's body. Yeosang wasn't someone that liked teasing on a sexual front, even if he was all for it when he spoke or flirted. He didn't like being teased, or teasing: topping wasn't something new for him. Wooyoung had often let him be on top, and he could tell that the king was relieved to have someone take the lead once in a while.

The blond's fingers reached the waistband to Yunho's pants, and he pulled them down with no hesitation whatsoever. He smiled against the other's lips, humming softly at the scent of alpha arousal emanating from him in stronger waves.

Despite the confident dominating energy all of this gave him, he was still an omega at heart. Not only did he want to pleasure Yunho, but he also still wanted to be pleasured himself. He could feel himself slowly get worked up, his lips get needier, his hands get hastier. He longed to have someone fill him up; needless to say, Wooyoung had slowly started sexually neglecting the other consorts once San had arrived.

So, following his desires, he sat upright, parting away from Yunho's lips. He pulled off both of their pants and marvelled at the fineness of the alpha's member. If Wooyoung had seen him naked before, how come he hadn't even questioned him, considering how alpha-like his body traits were? Tossing away thoughts like these, Yeosang dove back towards Yunho's lips, shivering at the way their skin brushed. A new, violent set of shivers overcame him when he felt Yunho against his entrance. "Yu–" He didn't even take the time to completely say the other's name; his reply died onto his lips.

An almost animalistic growl came from Yunho. His hands drifted everywhere: Yeosang's hair, his neck, his chest and torso, and, lastly, his hips, where they rested, holding him. Yeosang's scent was strong and full of want, and it was affecting Yunho, making him unbelievably hard. He gave another growl, leaning up to suck marks onto Yeosang’s skin. The omega would be stuck wearing longer, more covering clothes—or makeup—at this rate.

As they kissed again, Yunho took the opportunity to reach down, his hands brushing Yeosang’s entrance. The omega was already soaked, slick dripping from his hole. Yunho slipped two fingers inside with no problem; he could feel Yeosang's body tense up at the intrusion.

Yeosang's breath hitched and he let out a shaky moan, moving back against the two fingers. He tangled his own in Yunho's hair and gently tugged on the pale strands, his skin burning wherever the alpha touched, kissed and marked.

Yeosang realized he was glad for Yunho's rut. If he knew him any better, Yunho would usually be extremely careful and considerate; but now he acted on impulse and without hesitation. Yeosang would be embarrassed to admit it, but something rough and straightforward like this turned him on faster than any gentle approach would.

"Y–Yunho." Yeosang gritted his teeth and spoke lowly. He caught the other's wrist with his hand and squeezed it, nails digging into his skin in pure anticipation for what was to come. "No." He huffed slightly, tugging his hands and fingers away from his hole. "No, don't use your fingers. I–" He stammered, unable to control the quiver in his voice. "I want you, not your fingers."

"I don't wanna hurt you with my knot," Yunho admitted. "But if you insist." He said, voice low. He was quick to switch their positions; he found that towering over an omega felt better than he’d initially thought. Yeosang gasped slightly at their change in positions. He cupped Yunho's cheek with his hand, burying his face into the crook of his neck. He hastily spread his legs, locking them around the Alpha.

"Fuck, Sangie, you're absolutely soaked." He hummed, insisting against the blond’s weak protests and returning his fingers to their original place. He teased Yeosang a bit more, absolutely loving the whines and moans that escaped the omega’s ruby lips. "Come on, Sangie, I know you can cum more than once. How about you cum on my fingers first, yeah?"

"No!" He hissed out at Yunho's last sentence. As much as he loved his deep, raspy voice and the way he spoke, he didn't want to be teased, or edged. If he were to cum, he wanted to do so while pleasuring Yunho as well: the entire point of the whole thing was to help him through his rut.

This soon became an inner debate between Yeosang's rationality and his sense of duty. The former argued that the point of this was to help Yunho through his rut, thus helping him through whatever sexual urge he had. If he wanted to tease him, he should let him, at least for his first rut. His sense of duty told him that he should still remain loyal to Wooyoung. He was doing this because Yunho needed help; and he wasn't about to let him go uncared for. It would be a lie if he said that he wasn't enjoying this, but wouldn't directly satisfying Yunho's hard-on be more effective?

"You–" Yeosang struggled both mentally and physically. "Yunho, I don't–" He let out a frustrated groan, nuzzling the alpha's neck. "Forget about me." He finally said, his voice muffled. "Forget about my pleasure, just think about yourself. Do whatever you want to me."

"But what if I want to watch you practically fall apart from just my fingers? What if I want you begging me to fuck you till your voice is gone, hm? You look so beautiful like this, Yeosang, you have no fucking idea. You're all laid out before me like this: hot, bothered and beautiful. And you're mine." Yunho said and growled the last words. You're mine and he forcefully crooked his fingers, finding that one spot that made Yeosang's entire body arch beautifully off the bed. He kept this up for a bit until Yeosang whined that he was close.

At this point, Yeosang concentrated every single cell of his being on not becoming a bratty, moaning mess. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on the point of view—it wasn't very useful. He moaned shamelessly into Yunho's neck, nails digging into his back at the constant assault of his prostate. In less than five seconds, Yeosang had lost all of his confidence and bravado, and had turned into a whiny, lustful omega submitting to his alpha.

Yeosang muffled his moans, placing distracted, messy kisses to Yunho's skin. He suddenly felt a familiar sensation; pressure built up in his stomach and a tingly feeling ran up and down his body. He was on the verge of orgasm, and it felt incredibly good.

The omega managed a few incoherent sentences along the lines of 'I'm going to cum' and was just about to when Yunho rudely stopped all actions. Yeosang could almost cry; he let out a long, drawn-out whine. He pulled on Yunho's hair to the point of small pain; if he couldn't express his frustration verbally, he would express it physically.

Yunho removed his fingers and licked the blonde's slick off them, seemingly ignoring the other’s plaints. It tasted sweet. He tasted sweet. He watched Yeosang eye him and slipped his fingers into the omega’s mouth. "Taste yourself."

Yeosang still obeyed the alpha's harsh order, sucking on the two fingers like his life depended on it. "Y–Yunho, I wa–" He said after he'd licked the fingers clean. "I want you," He repeated. "Please~"

Overwhelmed by a sudden sense of possession and desire, Yunho lifted Yeosang’s hips off the bed and slowly pushed into him. He groaned at the feeling. Yeosang was practically squeezing him in a tight wet heat, and it felt incredibly _good_. It felt better than any other sexual intercourse Yunho had gone through.

A wave of relief toppled into Yeosang as he felt Yunho push into him; it combined with the pleasure to draw a long, high-pitched moan out of him. He shifted under Yunho's body and slowly lowered himself further onto his member. "Yunho~" He wouldn't have ever imagined that his name would sound so good on his tongue. "You can–" He'd lost his ability to form complete sentences at this point. "D–Deeper~ Faster~"

"Yeosang..." Yunho said breathlessly. "You should see yourself: you look beautiful, Sang. When Wooyoung frees us, I want you to be mine completely." The alpha said as he began to thrust. It was a quick hard pace, his hips snapping against Yeosang's. "Imagine you all round with my pups." Yeosang ran soft hands over Yeosang's flat stomach.

_Oh, shit._ Yeosang's inner voice squeaked. _Oh, shit, pups._ Unlike many omegas, Yeosang wasn't so excited about having pups. It's not that he didn't like them; he was just nervous. Having pups brought a certain amount of responsibilities and altered his attitude and pheromones. Pregnancy would totally unbalance him—mentally, emotionally and physically. But when he thought about it, at this moment, under Yunho's body, he realized: if he was the one to father his pups, if Yunho was the one to take care of him and stay by his side through it all, pups maybe wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Then Yeosang reminded himself that Yunho was just presenting. He was under the influence of his inner wolf, of what his body was telling him—more specifically, what his dick was telling him. The realization hurt him—it really stung—but he quickly dismissed this disappointment and focused on what he was making him feel now. Yeosang fell back against the pillows and met each thrust with a moan, throwing his head back. The abandoned orgasm from earlier soon built up again, and his voice rose in pitch and in volume. At this point, he was practically just screaming Yunho's name—or blabbers of it.

Yunho wasn't just under the influence of his wolf. He had liked the blond omega for a while, as much as he would deny it. He’d always just dismissed the feeling: what were the chances that Yeosang would choose him over Wooyoung? The chances were low that he would even choose him over all of the other consorts. Yeosang wasn’t the type to latch onto someone and cuddle—unlike Hongjoong—but Yunho could clearly see him discreetly returning Seonghwa’s hugs and Mingi’s touches. He could see how his mood brightened whenever he was around Jongho; the first time he’d seen him actually engage in cuddling with someone other than Wooyoung had been with San. Even as he tolerated sleeping with Yunho, and tolerated having his hands around his waist, his arms around his shoulders, he didn’t do much to return the affection. It looked like Yunho wasn’t near being his priority, and it hurt more than he told himself it did. Yet, now that he was pounding into him, listening to his sweet moans, feeling his lips, his tongue, his fingers, he finally had a slimmer of hope.

Yeosang finally released. He bucked his hips one last time and came quietly, his mouth gaped open in a silent moan and his body tensing before completely going limp. "Y–Yunho," He strangled out through his gasps for breath. He reached for him and locked his arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "D–Don't stop. I want your knot. Please."

"I wasn't planning on stopping," Yunho growled, increasing his pace. He could feel his knot beginning to swell at the base of his dick. Soon, it was catching against Yeosang's rim. "Fuck, I’m close." He moaned before his knot lodged deep within Yeosang, locking them together. He ground his hips, moaning as he released hard.

Yeosang was ecstatic. He'd forgotten how good it felt to be filled up, to be knotted. He whimpered a bit at the flash of pain; but it soon melted away into pleasure. He moved slowly and carefully as he locked his arms and legs tightly around the other. He realized Yunho had never knotted before; Yeosang had to take the lead for now. He was wrapped around the alpha like a koala to a tree when he took a deep breath. "Roll over. _Slowly._ Let me be on top." He ordered breathlessly.

Yunho nodded and obeyed, gently rolling over, careful not to hurt the exhausted omega. Looking up at Yeosang, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of awe. He’s beautiful. Messy, flushed and fucked out, but so incredibly beautiful.

The breath was knocked out of the blond at the way the knot tugged at his rim when they moved, but he quickly swallowed the pain down, nestling against Yunho's chest as he found a more comfortable position. Yeosang breathed in the alpha's scent—this lingering, green-tea-like aroma—and realized, after many months of cuddling with him and even after having intercourse with him, he still hadn't told him how good he smelled to him. "You smell really good too, you know." He said softly, his hand sliding up to caress his cheek. "You smell better than Wooyoung does."

"I do? You think I smell better than Wooyoung? I'm absolutely flattered." He said and chuckled. "You smell great too, but you've always smelled good." He smiled, a playful, wicked gleam to his eyes. "And you smell better with my scent all over you, my omega."

Yeosang tilted his head upwards and placed a soft, delicate kiss on Yunho's lips. He just felt... content. He wasn't happy enough to hop around or to squeal, but the joy he felt was growing exponentially. He felt cozy, at home—here, in Yunho’s arms.

For the longest time, Yeosang hadn't really imagined himself with anyone in the future. It saddened him that he kept finding flaws in the relationships he had; and those flaws were the ones keeping him from actually getting serious with that person. When he'd told Seonghwa about this, the beta had told him that he was probably afraid of commitment. Afraid that if he got too attached, too tied up to a person, the initial flaw in the relationship would grow and break him apart. In a way, Yeosang came to realize that what the oldest had said was true; he was afraid of being led down and broken, just because he made the wrong decision. Yet, he still believed that, with Yunho—"Your omega."—maybe he could overcome that fear.

* * *

**HI ATINY I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> b a s i c a l l y
> 
> yunho actually presented as an alpha- yeosang used his big brain, figured that out, took care of his hard-on and basically started catching feeling (and denying it)
> 
> we learnt that yunho has actually wanted to get closer to yeosang for a while, and that he's actually jealous of how close yeosang is to everyone else  
> ( *cue the one moment seonghwa started complaining to hongjoong about how he was clingy to the younger members but not to him* )
> 
> SO  
> yunho and yeosang basically have intercourse, both have feelings for each other but don't go past a sexual relationship (unlike seongjoong)  
> they're just fuck buddies
> 
> also, yunho being an alpha is a secret  
> also 2.0, yeosang is not excited about having pups—he's actually stressed about it  
> (i'm only mentioning that randomly- don't get the idea that he got pregnant: that's not what happened)
> 
> and yeah, that's about it


	20. This Is How I Feel About You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER EXPLICIT CHAPTER YAYYYY
> 
> if you're not into smut, skip down to where there's a bunch of italic words—that's where it ends

# Part Nineteen: This Is How I Feel About You

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZISQRuMiHbNI1eR2p0RnH** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZISQRuMiHbNI1eR2p0RnH)

* * *

Seonghwa did not want to work that day. He did his tasks poorly and reluctantly; he dragged his feet and drooped his shoulders. He was stressed, tired and overworked: he had reached his limit. He leaned against the wall in the hallway on his way to the consorts' living room and sighed, taking a moment to relax and just think. Of course, his thoughts brought him to Hongjoong. It had been a while since they'd really spent a good moment together. Seonghwa had been getting busier and busier, considering how it was rumoured that Wooyoung's mother was to come back in the next few weeks and that the palace had to be flawless at her return. And so, Seonghwa and Hongjoong kept getting interrupted whenever they had a moment. The only release he got was at night when he wrapped himself around the omega, but he immediately fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Seonghwa was silently cursing his situation when Jongho startled him. The younger had rushed up to him and trapped him between his arms. If Seonghwa had been in a good state of mind, he would have been intimidated or even flustered, but right now, he was not impressed—just annoyed.

"Hyung!" Jongho's eyes were widened wildly, his face almost as red as his hair: he looked insane.

"Yes, Jongho. What'd you do this time?"

"I–It's Hongjoong." Seonghwa's eyes immediately darted up at the sound of the omega's name.

He locked Jongho's wrist into a steel grip and stared at him intently. "What happened?"

Jongho swallowed visibly and hid his face into his hands, bumping his head into the dark-haired beta's shoulder out of pure desperation. "Hongjoong... I think he's going in heat."

And Hongjoong had most DEFINITELY gone into heat. He hadn’t felt right all day long; whenever he was around Yunho, his hormones went crazy. Why did Yunho smell so desirable all of a sudden? His green tea scent was normally mild but, today, it had been strong—and it seemed to be affecting both Yeosang and himself. He hadn't put two and two together, and didn’t even consider the possibility that Yunho was presenting as an alpha—and that his pheromones could have been the ones triggering his heat like this. So, he went about his day normally with slight discomfort until the cramps hit hard and a wave of heat washed over him. Jongho had been the one to help him get to his feet and bring him to the spare room they used to deal with heats.

A new rush of energy fueled Seonghwa as he led the way towards the heat room.

"I–I thought he smelled off today so I stuck around him in case something happened. I wanted to come to get you just after I finished putting the dishes away, but Hongjoong just collapsed." Jongho spoke fast but clearly; it was obvious that he was panicked, but Seonghwa admired how functional he still was after witnessing the start of an omega's heat. "I carried him to the heat room and he asked for you–"

"Yes, thank you so much, Jongho." Seonghwa's eyebrows were scrunched together as he took long strides across the long, never-ending hallways.

As soon as they arrived in front of the door, Seonghwa took hold of Jongho's hand before he could leave. "Tell everyone to stay away from Hongjoong. I'll take care of him. I'll clean the heat room when we're done, too."

Jongho hesitated, but nodded and quickly made his departure before the peach scent radiating from the room started affecting him.

Seonghwa barged into the room and faltered at how strong the scent was: it made him dizzy. "Hongjoong?" His voice was deep with concern. "I'm here."

As soon as the door opened and the scent of camomile wafted in, Hongjoong sat up in the bed. He had already stripped naked, trying to ease the heat. He looked like a mess: hair stuck to his damp forehead; his erection almost painful; and he was leaking slick, the substance dripping all the way down his inner thighs to his knees. "Hwa~ you made it." He said, making grabby hands at Seonghwa. "Please help, it hurts a lot. Want you~" He whined, voice already sounding fucked out.

Seonghwa swallowed down his bewilderment as he felt a ripple of arousal course through him. "Joong–" He carefully made his way over to the omega and cupped his flushed face, fitting right in between his spread legs. "I thought you could control yourself better than this." He said with a playful smile, leaning towards him to kiss his forehead.

"Hey, my heat hit me unaware! It's not supposed to happen for a good month." Hongjoong replied, pouting and hitting his chest like a child having a tantrum. Despite that little frustrated attack, he still latched onto Seonghwa desperately, legs wrapping around his hips.

However, Seonghwa didn’t seem to let the omega do whatever he wanted—not yet, anyway. He pressed a sweet kiss to his lips before completely untangling himself from him and stepping away. He told himself he wouldn't tease him too much—won’t postpone it all for the Hongjoong’s sake—but he still couldn't help but enjoy the whines dropping out of Hongjoong's mouth. "Thank your hormones for me." He joked, not wasting any time pulling down his clothes. He then slid onto the bed beside Hongjoong, settling comfortably against the head of the bed. He raised an eyebrow at the redhead and beckoned him into his lap.

Hongjoong was quick to get into the other’s lap, straddling his hips. "You have too many clothes on." He started to unclasp the decorative chains around Seonghwa's neck and place them to the side. Then he moved to pull the other's pants off.

Seonghwa let Hongjoong undress him, his hands resting around the redhead's waist, occasionally rubbing down to his thighs. Once he was done, Seonghwa leaned forward and placed kisses onto the omega's collarbone. "You have no idea how much I want you." He hummed softly, pulling the other's sweltering body closer.

Hongjoong whined and bared his neck. "Hwa~" He rocked his hips, eager and needy. He bit his lip, the desire to just immediately be filled up clouding his better judgement. So, with a mouthed _‘fuck it’_ , he lifted his hips up and sank down onto his lover’s member. He moaned, his grip on Seonghwa’s shoulders tightening. "Ah~"

"O–Oh~" He couldn't help the surprised moan that left his lips at the sudden warmth around him. He had not been prepared for the huge wave of pleasure, nor for the sounds coming out of Hongjoong's mouth, nor for how quick he got to the point. "N–No foreplay?" He asked breathlessly, taking extra care not to succumb to his urge to thrust up into him immediately; he didn't want to hurt him.

"You were too slow. I touched myself while I was waiting." Hongjoong moaned a reply and rocked his hips as he got adjusted. "You feel so good~" He gasped and arched his back slightly as he started to move up and down setting a slow pace.

Seonghwa chuckled softly, his lips sinking down the omega's chest. He licked and nibbled, smiling against his skin each time he moaned. "I do?" His eyes flashed up to Hongjoong, and Seonghwa's hands gripped his hips almost aggressively. "I'll believe that only when you're a mess, screaming out my name until your voice dies out." Seonghwa felt rash and impulsive: and it showed. He had just been so stressed out and _this_ —he needed this. He shifted under Hongjoong's body and found his prostate with practiced ease, kissing back up the redhead's body.

Hongjoong gave a whine as Seonghwa began to suck at his skin, tongue dancing over his sensitive nipples. He gripped Seonghwa's shoulders, pulling him closer: he wanted more. There were so many dirty thoughts going through his head right now. The redhead gave a sudden pleasured cry as his lover hit his prostate. "Fuck, Hwa, right there~! Please, there~!" He begged. "Please fuck me hard, I need it~ I need it!"

Seonghwa's pace quickened gradually. He muffled Hongjoong's words with a kiss, thrusting into him harder as he felt a familiar, longed-for sensation in the pit of his stomach; it was the beginning of a climax. “J–Joong–Ah~" He gasped, tilting his head back as the sensation tickled up his stomach, the pressure building up.

Hongjoong was reduced to whimpers and moans. He bucked his hips slightly as Seonghwa thrust into him. "Please c-cum inside– Wanna feel all of you~" He knew Seonghwa was close from the irregularity and sharpness of his thrusts.

Seonghwa hummed at his words and leaned his head on his shoulder. He placed breathless kisses onto his neck. Then the pressure reached its extreme. He released with a drawn-out moan. Acting out of pure impulse, he grazed his teeth over the mark Wooyoung had placed onto the redhead. "Hongjoong–!" How ironic it was that Seonghwa had ended up being the one screaming out the omega's name.

"Fuck, Hwa~!" The redhead gasped. "I-I'm–" He came a moment later, covering both of their chests with cum. He slumped against Seonghwa breathing hard. His heat was stated for now. Thoughts running, he wanted to say so many things, things he hadn’t had the time to tell him because of their busy schedules.

_I’m tired._

_I need comfort._

_I need it all to go back to the way it was before._

_I need you to be okay again, because, without you, I wouldn’t be here today._

_You’re the reason why I have the energy to wake up every morning._

But now, only one thing left his mouth, even with all of these possibilities. "I love you."

Seonghwa chuckled faintly, weakening his grip on Hongjoong and falling limp against him. "You've never said that before." He noticed quietly, acknowledging how delicate and gentle he had to be with him, especially since he'd been suppressing his heats for a few months now.

"I…” Hongjoong hesitated, hiding his face into the other’s neck. _What type of reaction to 'I love you' was that?_ “I just needed to get it off my chest," Hongjoong said slowly, his words measured and cautious. "Do... you?"

Seonghwa's face sobered up, and he cuddled into Hongjoong. "Hm. Do I? I think I do." He took in a deep breath and nuzzled into his neck, his lips brushing his jawline. "I think I do love you, Hongjoong-ah."

Hongjoong released a deep sigh, his stomach filling with that warm, fuzzy feeling. "Remember what we said months ago… at that banquet?” He still spoke gently and carefully, as if a wrong word would make their entire relationship crumble. “If and when Wooyoung sets us free would you–would you consider…?"

Seonghwa didn't know what to answer. He was family-oriented; yes, he did want to marry, to have pups, to grow old with someone. Yet, now that the possibility of that happening seemed closer with Wooyoung's obvious attachment to San, Seonghwa couldn't help but be a bit befuddled. He knew that he loved Hongjoong more than anything, and that Hongjoong loved him right back, but was that enough for them both?

They're both from good kingdoms, but neither has a powerful rank. They are from two kingdoms that aren't allied; and that have no business being allied since they're the farthest away from each other as they could possibly be. When he thought about his parents; his dads' smile when he stepped up to go to Utopia in his sister’s place; the hug his sister had trapped him in as soon as she got over her shock; the promise they'd all made him right before he left...

_You'll be back one day, and when that day comes, we'll never leave your side again._

Was Seonghwa ready to come and tell them that he found his omega—his soulmate—without having them meet him beforehand? Was he ready to break his sister's fantasy of setting him up with someone? Was he ready to cause his family the great pain of not being there for his first kiss, his first intercourse, his first relationship, his first love?

"I love you, Joong, I really do." He said again, trying to pick out the right words to describe his inner dilemma. "And you know I'd do anything for you. And I know…” He hesitated and closed his eyes with a sigh, his hands locking behind the omega's back. "I know I want you to carry my pups one day—if you do want pups. So yes. If you'd ask me to marry you, I would." He continued quietly before Hongjoong could speak, pulling back to face him. "But when Wooyoung sets us free, I have to go see my parents, and my sister."

Hongjoong listened and nodded. Their kingdoms were on opposite ends of Aurora with no alliance. If they got married, would Seonghwa's parents accept him and his accept Seonghwa? "I do want pups with you, more than anything. But you know… There are always complications: the chances of a beta getting an omega pregnant are…"

“Low, I know.” Seonghwa smiled and tilted his head upwards to kiss his forehead. "If it's that rare, we'll just keep trying until it works, Joong. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't mind that." There was a mischievous note in his tone, but he kept it soft and light.

Hongjoong couldn't help the laugh that fell past his lips at the words. "You know I wouldn't.” He cupped Seonghwa’s face with his hands and pressed his forehead to his. “And when we get it…” His words were barely a whisper. “We'll love the little one with everything we got."

"Yes, we will. Now get up." He patted Hongjoong's back gently, motioning for him to get off the bed. "Let's clean up. I promised Jongho I'll take care of the room." He said, glancing over his shoulder at the stained sheets towering in one corner of the room. "Do you want to go wash up first?" Seonghwa then reminded himself that the omega was still in heat, even if it had settled down for the moment. "You should rest. How long did you say your heat normally lasts?"

"It lasts three days. And yeah, I'll wash up." Hongjoong said as he got up on slightly wobbly legs and pulled on a spare robe. "I can go to the bathing room; it’s right down the hall."

Seonghwa pulled himself to the edge of the bed and stretched his legs, bending down to touch his toes. He straightened again and looked up at the redhead, his lips pressed together as he watched how unstable Hongjoong was on his feet. "Do you want me to come with?" He asked carefully. Normally, he'd immediately accompany him without even asking, but Seonghwa knew that Hongjoong might prefer washing alone now that his heat had arrived.

The grin that appeared on the redhead’s lips—and his seductive lip bite—told Seonghwa everything he needed to know.

* * *

**HI ATINY WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

**Please note the authors have NOT given permission for this work to be TRANSLATED or RE-POSTED ANYWHERE.**

**If you see this work ANYWHERE ELSE besides here on AO3, please report it for copyright infringement and notify:**

**TAEstful_Cherry at: sociallmedia101@gmail.com**

**with the webpage it was plagiarized on and by whom**

**For any other questions please also email TAEstful_Cherry.**

**Thank you!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm incredibly sorry for the late update—  
> but at least it's out, right?


	21. Treasure

# Part Twenty: Treasure 

_People dream about it_

_It can be different for every individual_

_It can complete us_

_Or it can destroy us_

_And it can change the world_

_People call it "treasure"_

Play this while reading this chapter

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/2oo6troH6rr5BhAOxqbpGi ](https://open.spotify.com/track/2oo6troH6rr5BhAOxqbpGi)

AND

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/0MAHdIDS7k9eyFaCe5HD3y ](https://open.spotify.com/track/0MAHdIDS7k9eyFaCe5HD3y)

* * *

Hongjoong’s heat had ended by Day Three. He had been going about his week relatively okay. Until… There was a day he wasn’t feeling relatively okay. He felt as if he simply couldn't catch his breath, no matter how deep and measured the breaths he forced himself to draw in and out. He couldn’t even bend down to grab something he’d accidentally dropped on the floor; the smallest things made him gasp for air. Dizzy from the lack of oxygen—and irritated his body was doing this to him now—he sat down, resting his head in his hands, trying once again to regain his breathing even if he knew it would be in vain.

Jongho had been worried about Hongjoong ever since he'd collapsed in front of him four or five days ago. No matter how many times Seonghwa tried to comfort him, he was still worried.

_It was just a heat cycle. It was taken care of. There's nothing to be worried about._

Yet Jongho still had this uneasy feeling. It was unlike Hongjoong to lose control over his heat cycle; it's not like he had just presented anyway. Nonetheless, Jongho was sure he was overreacting, just as Seonghwa kept saying.

Then that entire mindset just flopped when Jongho watched Hongjoong stumble and sit. His agitation returned and he quickly dashed over to him, bringing him a bottle of water—something he always tied at his waist because he easily got dehydrated during the tasks he was assigned to do.

"Do you need a break, Hyung?" He asked quietly, gently massaging his right shoulder. "I could take over for now. I'm afraid you've overexerted yourself, considering how your heat must've taken a lot of your energy."

Hongjoong quickly rose from his seat and sent him a slight head shake. "Thank you, Jongho-ya, but—” His protest died in his throat as his vision darkened, and he stumbled into Jongho, clinging onto him to regain his balance. “I–I’m sorry, I just… I feel like I can't breathe." He groaned. "It all just started today. I don't know what’s wrong with me."

Jongho huffed, his hand sliding up the omega's cheek and then settling on his forehead, checking his temperature. "You feel normal. Did you sleep at all last night?" He asked, concern crisping his features. "I know Seonghwa forces you to go to bed with him, but did you get any shuteye?"

"I slept like a rock last night. No dreams. Nothing to wake me up. I don’t know what's wrong, maybe it's just the air today? There was a sandstorm in the North yesterday. It might be the dust in the air today." Hongjoong said slowly, mentally filing through all the plausible possibilities.

Jongho ran a hand through the redhead's hair and sighed, a hand on his hips. He gently led Hongjoong back towards the chair and eased him onto it. "Just rest for the moment. If it gets any worse, tell me, yeah? I'll go get Seonghwa if it does." He said, pushing the bottle of water towards him. "Stay hydrated." At those words, he backed away and picked the wet mop back up, sliding it over the floor. Fun fact about him: he liked mopping. It was his main task in the entire palace, and he actually enjoyed it.

Hongjoong thanked him and relaxed, taking long, casual sips of the water. Thinking his slight migraine had just been temporary—just his body playing tricks on him after his unexpected heat—he rose from his seat once again, ready to pass Jongho’s bottle back to him. That proved to be a bad idea: as soon as he stood up, nausea overcame him, and he promptly leaned over and threw up in a nearby potted plant.

Jongho almost fainted. He'd been feeling stressed 19 hours a day—the remaining five ones being the pathetic hours he tried to sleep—for the last four days, without any sort of break, and now his panic just grew exponentially. "Hong–" He couldn't even form words properly. "Joo–Hyung–” His eyes were open wide and his brain was a mess. He had no idea what to do. No one had ever taught him the procedure for whenever his Hyung vomited into a potted plant. No one had even thought of such a procedure and spoken about it to anyone, let alone Jongho.

Everything seemed to happen all too quickly. Hongjoong threw up. His legs felt weak. He leaned heavily against the pot and watched as panic flashed over Jongho’s face. "I-I’m okay, Jongho.” He waved a weak hand around, as if simply moving his hand around would prove his so-very-obvious okay-ness. “I’m truly fine; it's probably just something I ate." Hongjoong winced as Jongho took an indecisive step towards him, his arms outstretched towards him as if he wanted to catch him if he ever toppled over. “No, no—” He shook his hand at him again, staggering towards the wall just as his head started spinning again. His insides seemed to want to propel themselves out of his mouth.

“Hongjoo—”

_He’s definitely not okay._

Agitated and unwilling to approach the omega in fear of doing something to worsen his condition, he stumbled towards the door and peeked out into the hallway."Hyung!" He caught a glimpse of Mingi's tall figure and called for him. "Hyung, call Seonghwa-hyung!"

Mingi blinked at him in confusion. “I just left him in the living room, why do you–”

“I don't care, just go get him! Please!"

Mingi, confused and honestly a bit scared, hurried back to the living room and returned with the black-haired beta. Seonghwa's expression mirrored Mingi's when Jongho harshly pulled him into the room and slammed the door before Mingi could enter after them. 

"Jongho? What are you–" Then Seonghwa saw Hongjoong, and caught his scent—as well as the acrid scent of vomit. "Oh, fuck." Seonghwa rarely cussed in a non-sexual context, so this told Jongho that his hyung felt just as panicked as he did. 

Unlike Jongho, Seonghwa immediately moved to the omega's side. Seonghwa was beginning to think that the other beta was right to feel at unease with Hongjoong's unexpected heat. Did someone mess with his system and have him get sick? Whatever this sickness was, Seonghwa wanted it gone and dead: seeing the omega heave and suffer from it pained him more than anything.

Hongjoong dry-heaved a few times; his body had nothing else to throw up. Gasping for air, he slumped against the wall. This ordeal did nothing to regulate his breathing. His vision was already going in and out of focus when a pathetic smudge of beige and black came into view—a smudge he recognized as Seonghwa. "Hwa-” He reached for him weakly before his brain decided to shut down on him, his eyes rolling back into his head.

Both betas looked petrified at what was happening to Hongjoong. The only difference between the two is that Seonghwa could actually _do_ stuff and _think_ properly. 

He caught the omega before he could completely fall to the floor and held him close to his chest, carrying him bridal style. He turned towards Jongho and looked deep in thought: two questions bothered him. _1: Why was Hongjoong like this? 2: What are they going to do with him now?_

Jongho had a potential answer to one of the questions, but it wasn't the one Seonghwa would've preferred. “There was this... sickness when I was in the mountains. At first, omegas got infected. The sickness caused shortness of breath, fatigue and eventually got to a vomiting point. And..."

Seonghwa's head snapped up at Jongho's hesitation. "And what? What happened to them?"

"All the omegas first infected passed away."

Seonghwa stumbled back a bit, tightening his grip on the red-headed omega in his arms. Now, Seonghwa was beginning to understand why Jongho had been so stressed lately: it might've all seemed like a big, traumatic deja-vu for him. "What?"

"It killed them, but then we found some sort of remedy. People still got sick but they didn't die." 

"A remedy?" Seonghwa perked up at that, leaning towards Jongho intently. "What's the remedy?"

"I... Well, you–I didn't–"

Then Seonghwa completely lost his patience. He didn't have enough time for Jongho to hesitate like this. Even if he felt bad for the other beta, Hongjoong's life was on the line. That fear and frustration came out with an aggressive growl directed to Jongho. _“_ What. Was. The. Goddamn. Remedy?" 

"I don't know!" Jongho shrunk away from his hyung's gaze. "I was 10! I wasn’t let nowhere near the sick ones and had no business knowing what the remedy was." 

_"Fuck._ " Seonghwa cursed again and stepped past the shaken beta to kick the door open. Mingi was gone, but Seonghwa barely noticed.

Seonghwa kept his eyes straight ahead and walked at a fast pace through the long corridors of the palace of Utopia. Jongho basically jogged to catch up with him. "H–Hyung, where are you goi–"

"We need to go see Wooyoung's father. Now."

Jongho nodded and glanced at Hongjoong, pressing his lips into a fine, distressed line: he looked pale and frail in Seonghwa's arms. The omega had always been small, but he seemed even smaller now that he was in Seonghwa's embrace. 

They walked down the halls and corridors. The king was usually in the laboratory in the back of the Jungle Lounge, and they were on the other side of the palace, coming from the kitchen. Soon enough—and this only because of Seonghwa’s freakishly long legs and Jongho’s jogging stamina—they made it to the Jungle Lounge, and followed the many winding pathways to the door at the back. Jongho opened it. "Your Former Majesty Jeongyeol, we need your help.” He fell to his knees out of reflex, bowing his head to the physician. 

Jeongyeol—Wooyoung's father and former king of Utopia—almost fell out of his seat at the sudden barging in of the consorts. He was about to automatically direct them to the heat medicine drawer out of pure reflex, but froze when he saw all three of them. They would never send three for heat medicine. He motioned for Jongho to rise, but his eyes were glued to the unconscious omega.

“It’s Hongjoong," Jongho got to his feet in a flash and pointed to the other two. “Please help him. H-he started breathing funny and then he threw up and passed out.” He fumbled over his words, but still spoke loud and clear, his distress obvious. “I'm scared he caught the mountain illness, or whatever you call it. The thing that ravaged my tribe around a decade ago. He was out in the market yesterday; he could have caught it there."

When he heard Jongho's words, Jeongyeol stiffened. He moved quickly and surely, freeing a bed and motioning for Seonghwa to place the omega onto it. The dark-haired beta obeyed immediately but refused to step away when Jeongyeol tried to push him back towards Jongho.

"No, I'm staying." He told the former king, shooting daggers at him.

Now, that simple reaction made Jeongyeol think. The mountain illness was characterized by vomiting, fatigue, and dizziness. Mostly omegas caught this illness, with some beta exceptions. But still, Jeongyeol was doubtful that Hongjoong had it. He did a quick examination: his skin was unusually pale, but his temperature was normal. His heart was at a normal pace, and he was breathing—which was a really good sign. There was one thing Jeongyeol still had to check. "I will need to take off his pants. Are you both okay with that?" 

Seonghwa hesitated and Jongho blushed. Neither of them replied, but Jeongyeol rid Hongjoong of his pants anyway. He ran a hand over his stomach: he didn't look malnourished. Only a glance at his genitals and a whiff of his scent gave Jeongyeol the answer.

"Boys." The former king sat the two betas down after he'd covered the omega with a blanket. "I don't know which one of you is to blame for this, but—"

_"To blame?_ " Jongho squeaked, his eyes widening. "You mean that I might've accidentally given Hongjoong the illness?" He could practically feel the guilt overcoming him already.

"No," Jeongyeol puffed out a short laugh. "Settle down. That's not how this mountain illness of yours works anyway." He cleared his throat and his face sobered up. "Hongjoong is not sick."

"What?"

"He's not sick, he's pregnant."

_“What.”_ Jongho’s jaw dropped, and he immediately looked at Seonghwa then back at the former king, his gaze flicking between the two continuously. Part of him was unmeasurably relieved Hongjoong wasn’t actually sick. However, another part of him started to process that Hongjoong was pregnant, and that the father was most likely Seonghwa. Jongho had always liked to let his imagination run wild, especially at night when he couldn’t sleep. That imagination of his had created scenarios of Mingi actually being a secret agent sent by his kingdom to protect Wooyoung, and of Yeosang having the ability to transform into a lion. It had also created scenarios like Wooyoung choosing Hongjoong as his queen, and Yeosang too. His brain had thoroughly thought over every single possible outcome and situation; he definitely had had the time to in practically two years of restless nights. Or so he thought. Beta/Omega pregnancies were rare, and unspoken of. In some kingdoms, they were even considered unclean—Jongho’s original tribe included.

“Hong… Hyung… and… with…” His words came out in stutters, a finger weakly raised towards the redhead and then moving towards Seonghwa. “You two… Holy sh–” The curse melted into a moan. “What now? We have to tell Wooyoung, right?” Jongho was trying to reason with himself as much as he was trying to reason with the flabbergasted Seonghwa. “If we think about it politically, it’s technically his kid, so…” 

Seonghwa's thoughts raced. He had no idea what to think. He had no idea how to think. What little thoughts he managed, they all centered around one thing: Hongjoong was pregnant. Hongjoong was pregnant and Seonghwa was... a father. "His... kid?" He repeated Jongho's words breathlessly, directing his grim gaze to the other beta. "Wooyoung's kid? It's not his kid, it's–it's–" Seonghwa buried his face into his hands, curling up onto himself. "It's mine." He croaked. "My kid. My pup. Our pup. Oh, _gods_." 

Jeongyeol was just as shaken as Seonghwa was. Consorts having a child was unacceptable: it would be scandalous if they let all of the other kingdoms know—especially considering how, because of their status as consorts, the child would have a clear path to the throne.

But this was Seonghwa, son of Taemin and Kibum, a child he'd seen come to life, and watched grow up. He didn't have the heart to rip the joy of being a father to him. 

Jeongyeol sighed and brought his gaze to Jongho's, deciding to let Seonghwa wallow in his confusion and awe for a bit more. "Shortness of breath isn't uncommon in pregnancy. What worries me is how pale he looks. He should spend more time in the sun. I'll give him a few nutriments for now." He said, moving towards a compartment of herbs. "He needs to wake up for you two to... discuss." He said quietly to Seonghwa, pulling out a mix of smushed herbs and bringing it to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong coughed awake as the herbs were placed under his nose. He opened his eyes, making a face and tilting his head away. He blinked. "Your M–Majesty, why are you here? Gods, what happened?" He asked, voice raspy. Then he smelled Seonghwa and tilted his head. "Seonghwa, what happened, why am I here? I wanna go back to bed. I feel disgusting..." He said, making grabby hands towards the beta.

Seonghwa's head snapped up as soon as he heard Hongjoong's voice. He couldn't even bring himself to say anything. He lugged himself out of his seat and stood next to the bed, his eyes searching Hongjoong's for any type of uncomfort, or perhaps understanding. _How silly_ , Seonghwa thought, _that I know we have a child before he does._

He lowered himself down to the redhead's eye level, kneeling down near the head of the bed. "Hongjoong-ah." Seonghwa's voice was as raspy as Hongjoong's. "We..." His voice broke and refused to let him finish his sentence. Instead, a smile grew onto his lips, and he dropped his head, shoulders shaking with a silent laugh. "I can't–someone please say it. I can't."

Hongjoong looked confused, glancing at the three of them turn after turn, waiting for an explanation. "What? What is it? Am I dying?" He brought his gaze back to Seonghwa and hit him on the back of his head, earning a plaintive whine from the beta. “You piece of shit, I’m dying and you’re laughing?”

Jongho couldn’t help but let a smile curve his lips at Hongjoong’s usual aggressivity, despite the panic crisping his features. "Ah, Hyung," Jongho said softly. "You're not dying. You're... You're pregnant.” He watched the redhead’s face contort into surprise. Jongho gestured towards Seonghwa awkwardly, hoping to somehow convey that he was the father. “And… Seonghwa-Hyung…”

Hongjoong immediately understood, and let out a silent gasp, his fingers flying out to rub the back of the beta’s head—where he had hit him just moments earlier—almost apologetically. "I’m… W–We're gonna be parents?" He asked, his eyes clouded with unbelief. "But Wooyoung said we can't… It’s not allowed to…” Hongjoong hid his face. "Oh my gods, I’m pregnant." He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He didn't know what to think, either. It was a dream come true, but with their situation…

Seonghwa had always tried to avoid kissing Hongjoong in front of others, but now he practically didn't care anymore. Concern, euphoria and uncertainty twirled inside of him but he completely tossed away this confusion—at least for the next short moment of impulsivity. He gently pulled Hongjoong's hands away from his face and caught his lips in a gentle kiss. "Remember what you said about loving our pup with everything we've got?" He murmured, a smile curving his lips.

Hongjoong kissed back gently, face flushed. When he pulled away, he looked at Seonghwa curiously. "I remember. This is our baby. No matter what anyone says we made this child."

"Ah, gods, this is insane." Seonghwa kissed Hongjoong's forehead and finally straightened, letting out a deep sigh. He turned towards Jeongyeol and the look he sent him put the former king at unease. "Hyung–" As soon as Seonghwa had whined that word, Jeongyeol knew their difference in status was no more. Jeongyeol was more than eighteen years older than him, but Seonghwa had always called him Hyung for as long as he could remember—in an unprofessional context, of course. "What are we going to do?" 

Jeongyeol didn't know what to say. He had an idea—a solution—but he hesitated. 

Seonghwa noticed his hesitation and tugged on his sleeve—a small gesture that brought him back to when he was toddler. "Please. Please save us, and our baby." 

Jeongyeol couldn't believe he was doing this, but the way Seonghwa looked at him pushed him to speak. "I have a solution, but..." He took a deep breath, lowering himself back into a chair. "But it's risky."

Hongjoong looked up at them both. "We know Wooyoung won’t do anything to our pup, even if it isn't supposed to happen. I don't want this child to take the throne if that's what everyone is worried about. That's the last thing I want. Wooyoung still needs to pick a queen. Only his blood will take the throne."

"It's not Wooyoung I'm concerned about." Jeongyeol sighed. "My son has a kind heart and cares about all of you. He wouldn't hurt a fly if he knew you loved it."

Jongho made his presence known by collapsing into a chair at the former king's side. 

"If I'm guessing correctly, it's the kingdom's reputation. And what the other kingdoms and the townspeople might think." Jongho said. His voice was now clear and stable; he seemed to have gotten over his shock. "Technically, the child you'll have is illegitimate, since you aren't married. Not only that, you're both consorts still under Wooyoung's responsibility. It's just... taboo for something like this to happen."

Jeongyeol nodded to Jongho. "Yes, as Jongho said, it's risky to have you openly announce your child's birth. Wooyoung would be forced to make a declaration to the elders, as much as he wouldn't want to. And the elders would be forced to share the news with Jade's elders, which would be forced to share it with their king, and so on. The news would get around the land in no time."

"Then…” Hongjoong spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. “We keep it a secret for as long as we can? I won't begin to show until 2 to 3 months, yeah?” He looked to Jeongyeol for confirmation and received a nod. “So we have time to sort this out. No one _has_ to know right away, so we can just keep it a secret, right?" Hongjoong said. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his pups, not now, not ever. "Can't Wooyoung just give us a pass? Or somehow talk to the elders and let us go? It was an accident, unexpected. Besides, he has been paying more attention to San than to any of us."

Seonghwa saw Jeongyeol stiffen, and tugged on his sleeve again, summoning his attention back to him. "Yeol-Hyung, can you–"

Jeongyeol waved his sentence away, speaking over him. "I'll try to do what I can for you two. We'll make it work, no matter what.” Jeongyeol's immediate compliance surprised Seonghwa: he wasn't used to him being so easy to convince. Age must've softened him; or maybe he just missed his own family—his wife, who had left the land years ago; and his son, who had been more preoccupied with his position and consorts to actually pay attention to him. 

"For now, I'd think it'd be best to have only the four of us know as Hongjoong suggested." The former king said, glancing at all of them turn by turn. "We'll go under the pretext of a small illness whenever you visit me, whether it be for advice or for pain relief." He turned to Hongjoong. "If you ever feel strange, come see me immediately. Better safe than sorry." Now, he turned towards Seonghwa. "Seonghwa, it'd be better for you to stick around him for the next few weeks. Hongjoong's hormones will be unstable. Usually, any alpha could easily release calming pheromones when it gets bad, but since you're a beta, I guess that'd be more difficult."

An unexpected wave of bitterness washed over him at that last sentence, his face features hardening. "So I just stick around him?" Seonghwa asked, words unwillingly sharp and cold. 

Jeongyeol sent him a warning glance, silently telling him to calm his temper. "Being around the one he's mated with, whether you're an alpha or a beta, should calm him. Your scent is associated with love and comfort, so it should work, just not as fast as alpha pheromones."

Hongjoong nodded. He slowly stood and pulled on his earlier-discarded pants before moving close to Seonghwa and hugging him tight. They had a few months to sort this whole thing out. It would work out… he hoped. He then looked to Jeongyeol and bowed his head. "Thank you so much for your help, Your Former Majesty Jeongyeol. I hope this works out, and that this pup won't cause trouble."

Seonghwa hugged the omega right back and kept his arms around him even as he turned away. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness ran through him as he pulled the redhead closer. Now, he wasn't just protecting and loving Hongjoong, and his brain was slowly getting accustomed to the idea. 

Jeongyeol watched the two and couldn't help but let a smile curve his lips at their closeness. Part of his brain was repulsed by the idea of letting two consorts love each other like this, let alone let them have a child together. The other part of his brain is the one who overpowered that first part—this part that had wished for Seonghwa's happiness from the second he was born. "I'll do my best to assure you and your pup's health and well-being." He inclined his head and folded his hands in front of him. It had been a while since he'd bowed to a consort. "It's the least I could do, as palace physician. And as... as someone who treasures Taemin and Kibum as my best allies."

"Thank you for everything." Hongjoong said to Jeongyeol. "For this, we are in your debt." He took a deep breath and was delighted to feel Seonghwa’s soothing scent flood his senses. As the beta’s grip tightened, he cuddled back into him. "Is there something I can take for morning sickness?" He asked, still facing Jeongyeol. "I don't want to be throwing up everywhere."

Seonghwa's heart had basically just melted. He silently watched as Jeongyeol nodded and spoke to Hongjoong, moving to his desk of herbs—yet Seonghwa couldn't hear a thing he was saying. He couldn't move, couldn't speak: he could only think that he was unbelievably lucky to have Jeongyeol by his side. All of those moments he'd spent next to him crashed into him like a wave, toppling him over. 

He remembered, back when he'd first joined Utopia as a consort, the times Jeongyeol would do something small; like bring him familiar food from Shawol when he wouldn't eat the food from Utopia; or bring him lotus flowers whenever he found some because he had always known that they were his favorite flowers. Things like that seemed useless at first, but Seonghwa had learned to love the former king. 

At the very beginning, when Seonghwa was around 12 years old and Jeongyeol was slowly spending more and more time in the palace of Shawol with his parents, he'd believed Jeongyeol was only doing so because he wanted to gain favors, connections and power. He found it absolutely disgusting; to the point of refusing to look at him or speak to him at all. Then Jeongyeol had caught him before he went to bed one night, and had told him exactly what he hadn't expected to hear: that his decision to stay away from him was being respected, even if it saddened the king. He told him that he thought of him as his own child, as the child that could've been if his wife had been okay with a second child. The king sat him down and poured out his life story, his problems and his issues, and Seonghwa had then realized that Jeongyeol wasn't after power and riches. He was after love, and guidance.

Seonghwa now saw that young, troubled king again: that king who had looked at him so softly, who had cared for him in any possible way, who had admitted his feats and failures to him, who had become someone so precious to him—someone like a father, even if he was happy with his true parents. He saw him again, and it almost hurt how much he wanted to hug him and fall to his knees to thank him for everything he'd done. 

"Hyung," Jongho's voice pulled Seonghwa out of his trance, and a hand rested on his shoulder, making his head flick towards the red haired beta. "This is great and all, but what are we going to do if someone finds out? We should have a back-up plan, right?"

"No one will find out." He tightened his grip on Hongjoong, refusing to let him go even as Jeongyeol mentioned for him to come forward for the herbs. He waddled awkwardly with him until they reached the king, and Jeongyeol's laugh brought Seonghwa's attention back to him.

"Alright, so, I'll make a bit of the medicine now, and I'll work on making bigger quantities for you later. It should momentarily calm your morning nausea." Jeongyeol pulled out his tools—objects and herbs Seonghwa couldn't name for the life of him—and started grinding them all together. "If it doesn't help as much and you still feel nauseous, make sure to sit down, drink water—slowly, don't chug the bottle—and eat dry foods: like cereal, bread or crackers," Jeongyeol instructed, glancing back at the omega to make sure he was listening. "For the evening, before you go to bed, make sure you eat high-protein food. I'll try to avoid putting too many restrictions, but some things are still crucial."

Hongjoong nodded. He was normally good about eating healthy, but sometimes he got carried away and forgot to eat. Now, he was eating for two so he would definitely be more hungry than usual. "Thank you." He said softly. "I know morning sickness will only last for four months. I just hope that it's not terrible." He took the glass bottles of medicine that Jeongyeol handed to him. 

"Take it once in a small spoon every morning or whenever you feel nauseous. The second bottle is to help with the dizziness, take that as needed in a small spoon." Jeongyeol instructed. "If you need anything else just come to me."

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	22. Royal

# Part Twenty-one: Royal

[ https://open.spotify.com/track/1i7Yu7sssW4EDkNEdgoZd0 ](https://open.spotify.com/track/1i7Yu7sssW4EDkNEdgoZd0)

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Half a year had gone by in a blurr. San was adjusting to palace life well. He was friends with all of the political consorts, and even got along with everyone—including the servants, the cooks, the merchants and even some high-ranked generals. He was spending almost every spare minute with Wooyoung. Out of everyone, San had gotten closest to the king. For the last week, San had been helping Wooyoung and the council make a trade agreement with his kingdom. Everything seemed to be going well.

Wooyoung was happy. He was happy and carefree, for once, relaxed about everything. Whatever issue he had in the past that might've stressed him, it was gone: the trading was going great, with the new peace with Starlight; the council elders were in a good mood, which automatically made Wooyoung's day; he had a plan for his own palace investment to have the elders trust him, thanks to San; and he wasn't worrying about finding a bride anymore, again, thanks to San.

He hadn't expected to get so attached to the omega, but it had been a few months now and he was quite sure that he'd like to have him carry his pups. It was a crazy thing, now that Wooyoung actually thought about it, that he'd actually have kids in the near future. It was scary, but it was mostly heartwarming, especially if he had San by his side. He was eager, to say the least.

Now, he walked joyfully through the far corner Jungle Lounge: it was a corner no one really took the time to walk through, but Wooyoung was convinced it was the most beautiful. He kept his eyes on the drooping trees, the shining dewdrops, the colorful flowers and the ripe fruit. That was until his eyes locked on a small silhouette about a dozen metres away from him. A smile automatically bloomed on his face. He could recognize that silhouette anywhere with no exceptions at all. Wooyoung silently made his way towards the other, moving towards his back to avoid ruining the surprise. He halted only when he was close enough to hug him. He finally made himself known, his arms wrapping around the other's waist, his head dropping onto his shoulder and his lips brushing the mark he'd placed onto his neck.

"Good morning, San~"

San hadn't gone back to sleep at all the night before; he had watched the sun rise above the desert sands. He hadn’t protested when Seonghwa had called him for breakfast, but had immediately returned to the Jungle Lounge as soon as he was done. The other had obviously noticed his distracted demeanor, an attitude that was so unlike him that it was scary. None of them had built up the courage to ask him about it; as soon as they met eyes with him, they cowered away. San, on the other hand, had no idea why he was so silent and gloomy. The sleepless night had affected him, that was no doubt, but even so… He just guessed it was one of those days he just felt like spending alone to rethink his entire life, one of those days that happened less than once each two full moons. However, there was something different about his thinking sessions, and he immediately knew it; instead of thinking of whatever troubled him, or his own life, his thoughts gravitated towards Wooyoung. 

San was pulled out of his reveries by the sudden heat of Wooyoung around him, by the sensation off his arms around, and by the sound of his voice. Gentle surprise flicked over his features, but he quickly overcame it, melting under the alpha’s touches.

"Good morning to you, as well." He smiled and looked up at him with an easy smile on his lips. "Did you sleep well? You're not too stressed, aren’t you?"

Wooyoung smiled right back and kissed his temple, parting away from him only to appear by his side, facing the world of jungle created by his ancestor. "I'm under a healthy amount of stress." He let out a content sigh, then breathed in the fresh—yet still somehow humid—air mixed with San's sweet jasmine. "Did you sleep well?" He glanced at the omega and swiftly became aware of the dark color beneath his eyes. "Did you sleep at all?" Concern now laced his words, and he ran a gentle thumb over the eye bags, cupping his face. 

"I slept—” San hesitated, sighing. “A little? It’s alright though, I'll head to bed early tonight." He said softly. "After a hot bath, too."

"Good." Wooyoung huffed, booping San's nose playfully. "Take care of yourself as well as I take care of you, and I'll be happy." He let his smile widen at his words and squeezed San's cheek affectionately, once more melting at how lucky he was to have such a simply perfect consort he could take for a wife. And then a train of thought took him to the realization that he hadn't told San anything about marriage. _Oh,_ His face sobered up, his smile slowly fading away. _Shit._

San purred at the affection and leaned into the touch with a smile on his face. "I try to take care of myself, don't worry.” He noticed Wooyoung's change in expression, and his face matched his almost immediately. "What is it, Young-ah? Are you okay?"

Wooyoung had never been great at confessing—seriously, that was. It had taken him years to tell his nanny—the one who'd taken care of him for most years of his childhood—that he actually appreciated her. And when he'd actually told her, it was a meek, simple 'thank you'. Not only that, he'd ran away before she could say anything back. If that was how he'd reacted to simple thanks, he couldn't imagine how he would react when he'd have to confess his love. He avoided at all costs doing so, showing his affection and appreciation through actions and small childish whispers and whines.

"I'm…” He puffed out his cheek, slowly pulling away from the omega. "Should I just be frank about it?" He muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Listen," He drove his eyes to the glass ceiling, avoiding San's gaze. "I've had something on my mind for more than two years now."

San looked up at him with an unreadable expression on his face. "Wooyoung, what is it?" His tone hardened and his features scrunched into a worried frown. "You can tell me— Look at me, Wooyoung, please?" He pleaded, his hand reaching up to let his fingers graze the alpha’s jawline. He didn't like how he was avoiding his eyes at any cost, as if he’d done something as bad as murder. Was he upset? Had San done something wrong?

Wooyoung managed a dry chuckle, lowering his gaze but still not daring to meet San's. He knew that if he did, he would chicken out of the entire thing, that his whole confidence would just disappear into thin air, that he'd come up with a weak excuse like 'we need more birds in the jungle room' and leave it at that. So, instead, Wooyoung focused on the omega's lips: those thin, red, delicious, usually-smiling-but-now-pouting lips. Did San have any idea the words Wooyoung was struggling to get out? Did he have any idea how much he wanted San to be his own for life and—not only that, but to be his as well? Those two questions remained unanswered, but they wouldn't really matter, considering that both would be useless as soon as Wooyoung got the proposal out. 

"I think I've spoken about it before—the marriage thing?" He huffed, speaking quietly as if that would ease the importance of the sentences coming out of his mouth. "I've thought about it hard. I've been thinking about it hard for nearly two years but that's beside the point." He shook himself to keep from waffling again. He had to get straight to the point before he cowered away. "I just thought I should share my thoughts with you before I actually do anything?" His voice was uneven, uncertain and almost pitiful. 

At the word marriage, San's eyes widened. Wooyoung was thinking about picking a queen then? Yes, San had high hopes it would be him, but he couldn’t just dismiss the fact that it could very well be any of the other omegas of the consort status—Hongjoong and Yeosang. San winced, a selfish feeling of jealousy boiling up inside of him at the thought of anyone else having Wooyoung to themselves. However, for Wooyoung’s sake, he erased that temporary disgruntlement off his face, and grasped his hand, pulling him towards a nearby bench. "Yes, we can speak about it. Let's sit down, yeah?

Wooyoung accepted San's offer to sit down, but ended up fidgeting more than when he was standing. He constantly crossed and uncrossed his legs, shifted to face San only to move back to the front, his hands played with a random hair band he was wearing on his wrist. 

"I remember telling you about what I can do once I have a bride. And about how the elders would perceive me as 'worthy', in some way." He said, now bringing his legs up onto the bench and crossing them to face San in a childish position. "So I've decided on... well, I know who I want as a bride, but thing is, I haven't told him yet. And it'd be a jerk move to force him into marriage if he has other plans." Every single part of his being—except for the brain cells getting the words out of him—face-palmed at the way he was taking a big detour.

San nodded, knowing that the King would have more freedom once he took a bride. "You won't be forcing anyone if you ask them nicely. It's not like you're going to them and forcing them to do the marriage vows—or whatever ritual you do here in Utopia.” San reasoned, shifting to face Wooyoung in the same position he was in. He knew every kingdom had a different way of conducting royal weddings, but one thing stayed the same: whoever was asked had to accept the proposal before the ceremony could take place. "You just have to ask and see what they say. If they say no, then no harm done, right?"

"Right." Wooyoung felt something build up in his stomach: was it anticipation, excitement or just courage? No matter what it was, it gave him the boost of energy he needed to propose. "I told myself I'd ask him out of blue, so," He leaned his back into the bench, once more staring at the ceiling. "San, I'm promoting you to–" To his surprise, his voice was firm and confident. He hadn't expected it to come out like that, which basically made his words sound almost aggressive. He quickly softened his words, clearing his throats before finishing his sentence. "I'm promoting you to Queen. Of Utopia." His cheeks colored a deep red and he shut his eyes, unable in any way to see San's reaction. It was such a garbage way to propose, but it was the best Wooyoung could manage, considering his unspoken fear of direct confessing.

It took San a few seconds to register and to process the words. At first, he was confused, thinking like an idiot that he would get promoted to being his wingman or something of the sorts. Then, he spent another few seconds hung up on the word ‘queen’ and pondering how weird the hierarchy system was in Utopia. That was until he completely flushed, the actual meaning of the statement occurring to him. 

_I’m promoting you to Queen of Utopia._

Wooyoung had chosen him? He had no words. He was shocked. Out of the three of them, Yeosang, Hongjoong and himself, Wooyoung had chosen _him_? He blinked a few times trying to shake himself from the shock. "Young,” He finally managed through his bafflement. “Look at me." He moved closer, put his fingers under Wooyoung's chin and cupped his cheek.

Wooyoung shuddered. What sort of reaction to a proposal was that? He sounded like he'd just told him that his mom had died. He obeyed, hesitantly opening his eyes, and almost flinched when he realized how close San was to him. "How..." He finally brought himself to look at him in the eye. "How am I supposed to interpret that reaction?" He said with a small—almost embarrassed—smile. _Does he like me, does he not?_ He huffed, silencentky referencing the childish game lovestruck girls were known to play with flower petals.

"I accept your proposal. I may not be as educated in the ways of Utopia as the others but I will learn quickly and rule at your side." San said softly. "I've started falling for you hard over the last months I've been here. It's like my omega knows that you're my fated mate. I've been drawn to you since day one." He admitted shyly, blushing bright red.

"Ah." He nodded slowly, folding his hands into his lap. "Alright." He relaxed his shoulders, until he realized that he had no business relaxing. He had just gotten married. To Choi San, prince of Starlight. He had a bride. Wooyoung's eyes gradually widened as the realization dawned on him. "You just—You accepted!" He could only stutter those words before he closed the gap between them. He kissed him gently, just like he had done countless times before, and the warmth spread through him ridding him of the tension in his muscles.

San laughed at the alpha’s childish reaction, fitting into his arms perfectly as they kissed.

_Wooyong’s mine and I’m his. Finally._

That would all be finalized when San marked Wooyoung back during whatever ceremony this kingdom had.

Wooyoung was practically beaming with joy. He pulled both San and himself to their feet and hugged him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. He spinned them around with his swaying, alternating steps. "We’ll have to invite your family to the ceremony, right? I hope your brother won't be too upset. I didn't ask for his blessing or whatever. He's intimidating." He said playfully.

San was ecstatic. Not only was he marrying a rich, handsome, kind alpha, he was also getting to see his family. His happiness faltered a bit as he remembered Seonghwa mentioning that he hadn’t seen his family at all in years. It was unfair, now that San thought about it. He shook the thoughts away with Wooyoung’s next sentence, a laugh falling past his lips at the mention of his brother. "No one will be upset. I know my brother looks intimidating, but when he gets the news, I bet you he’ll say something along the lines of 'It's about time.'" San grimaced, tightening his grip around Wooyoung. "Also, my parents will want to come to the mating ceremony."

Wooyoung's mouth went dry. He briskly pulled away and faced San, holding his shoulders. "They... What?" He flushed a deep red. 

_The mating ceremony_... Did it not have the same meaning—and usage—in every kingdom? There was the marriage ceremony, the party with the family, the food, the guests, the music and the dance. Then there was the mating ceremony, the one only the couple and a few servants attended, a ceremony dedicated to the making of a child. Even if the couple didn't want a child just yet, they would still spend the night together. At least, that's what the mating ceremony was in Utopia. Was San saying that his parents would want to attend that? "The mating ceremony– It– It is–" He choked on his own words, unable to form a complete sentence. "They–They would like to come see?" His voice came out in a panicked squeak.

"Why? Is it different here?" San asked. He knew every kingdom had a different ceremony style, but he still thought they were similar enough. In Starlight, it was a deeply spiritual experience: the newlyweds would bathe in the sacred pools in the temple of Eros on the mountaintop under the stars, and receive blessings from the stars and the gods. The parents normally watched their children get blessed before leaving. When San mentioned the mating ceremony to Wooyoung, the other seemed to get flustered like there was something ethically wrong about it. "If they can’t watch the ceremony, I’ll let them know.” He said slowly, a confused frown replacing his smile. “What’s the ceremony like here? In my kingdom, we take a sacred bath."

"A... sacred bath." Wooyoung laughed nervously, throwing his head back out of pure relief that it wasn't what he thought it was. Then he realized: if Hakyeon and Taekwoon were used to attending the mating ceremonies, wouldn't they really want to attend their own son's, even if it meant watching something that wasn't usually performed in front of an audience? Then an even more shocking thought hit him: what if they were _used to_ watching something that wasn't usually performed in front of an audience? "The mating ceremony–It–Here, it's basically–" He went back to stuttering, his flush growing exponentially. "It's… sleeping… together. But you don't sleep, you…” He struggled with his words. "It's literally mating."

San opened and shut his mouth a few times in complete and utter shock. "So, wait, we… we actually… do it… infront of an audience? Like, mate-mate? Like, I’m in heat and we do it? Like, not casual sex, but like, make-a-baby sex?" San asked, fumbling with his word, eyes wide.

"Yeah, well, that's why I asked about your heat cycle a few days ago." He muttered, bringing his gaze back to San's. "Everything's organized around it to make the mating ceremony possible."

San nodded and hid his face, _very_ embarrassed that their personal activities—not to mention, his _first_ time doing it with Wooyoung—would be in front of an audience that would consist of their parents. "Yeah, my parents… would probably not want to see that…”

Wooyoung nodded at the last sentence, somewhat relieved. "Your parents–I mean, if they really take the mating ceremony thing to heart, we could always..." He hesitated, embarrassed to finish the sentence. "Thing is, I worked really hard to mend the relationship between your dad and I, and now I really don't want to ruin it all if they want to watch… us that bad."

"We can send a message to my parents and sort everything out. It's up to them if they want to… see or not. They could always just come to the feast and everything beforehand." He said, wrapping his arms around the alpha’s neck and pulling him closer into a hug.

Wooyoung dropped his chin back onto San's shoulder. He gently ran his fingers through his hair, a happy smile curving his lips."What matters is that the ceremonies actually happen." He huffed, gently nudging San's head. "Oh my gods, San, I'm getting married." He sucked in a sharp breath, bouncing from one foot to the other. "I can finally dance again."

San giggled. "Yes, you can dance again! And travel, too!" He said with as much excitement as Wooyoung. "I'm excited. You'll be so free now." He said and kissed his cheek. "We have to tell everyone now."

Wooyoung pecked his lips and pulled him towards a stone path through the jungle. "Let's go see my father first." He was skipping like a child, hurrying towards the towers rising among the palm trees. "Did you get to meet him yet?"

San thought about that. Then shook his head. "I've been here for months and I’ve never met him!" San said as Wooyoung led him down the pathways and through the gardens. "I've heard the others talking about him. He sounds nice, he's a healer, right?"

"Yes, he's the kingdom physician." Wooyoung's hand slid down to San's and intertwined their fingers. "He's the main teacher at the medical school he founded, but always keeps a thing or two to himself. There are a few tricks and tips that he doesn't like sharing just because he still wants his skills to be the very best without anyone to surpass him." He grimaced, wrinkling his nose. "A bit hypocritical, if you ask me. But eh, he's my dad. I can't be mad at him forever."

"I mean you're right. He's a physician. What’ll happen when he's not around anymore? His secrets will go with him." San said in agreement. "But it's not good to be at odds with a parent. I'm sure you two will get along soon." San said reassuringly as they walked into the laboratory. San looked around curiously; the air was thick with the smell of different herbs and other things he couldn't place. He looked around at the variety of small potted plants, a cage of what sounded like mice, and bottles and things all laid across tables.

"He should be around here; school has ended for this semester." He huffed, his gaze darting around the familiarly messy room. "Hello? Where are you?" He called through the place, looking around hastily as he led San further into the laboratory.

* * *

**ATEEZ COMEBACK TODAY!!!!!**

**STREAM "I'M THE ONE" !!!!**

**[STREAM IT HERE ATINY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtcVwuauVV0&ab_channel=KQENTERTAINMENT) **


	23. Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FORGOT TO CHANGE THE CHAPTER NAME FJKHKJFDS  
> YOU GUYS SAW NOTHING

# Part Twenty-two: Wrath

**Play this while reading this chapter**

[ **https://open.spotify.com/track/3uiTlP4PechqLZA3WFYC05** ](https://open.spotify.com/track/3uiTlP4PechqLZA3WFYC05)

* * *

"Here." A shiver went down Wooyoung's spine as he felt a cold hand on his shoulder and he almost let loose a squeal. He swivelled towards his father and calmed his racing heart, squeezing San's hand. "How can I help you?"

Jeongyeol looked tired and... irritated. He kept his gaze onto the others', flicking from his son's to San's, but Wooyoung could tell—from the way his body was angled outward—that he really felt like walking away and locking himself in his room. Typical Jeongyeol; he'd always had his leave-me-alone moments.

San bowed his head politely towards Jeongyeol. He could hear the tone of slight annoyance in the former king's voice. It was best to tread carefully and politely. "I'm very sorry if we interrupted you, Your Highness, but we had some good news to share with you," San said. His voice was soft and sounded genuinely upset that they had disturbed the king's work in any way.

Jeongyeol focused on his son, his eyebrow raised. "Good... news? What's this all about?"

Then Wooyoung realized how stupid of a decision coming here was. He couldn't believe that he was dumb enough to have suggested this in the first place. He knew Jeongyeol didn't like Starlight. He knew Jeongyeol didn't like San. He had even refused to come to see him at his arrival: he had only seen him when San had needed to share his heat schedule and had to discuss medical allergies and conditions, and even then, the council of elders had forced him to. 

"I've decided to follow your advice." Wooyoung started, leaning back as he contemplated how in the world he would tell his father that he was marrying into the one family he hated the most out of all of the royal families. 

"Well, that's a new one. Proud of you for that, Young-ah. Now, what'd you do?" Jeongyeol asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

It took all of Wooyoung's will to not lose his patience and snap back at him. "I'm getting married."

"You're–"Jeongyeol's eyes widened. He glanced blankly at San, and then back at Wooyoung."You..." He pointed a vague finger at the omega. "To him?"

Wooyoung nodded, instinctively pulling San a few inches behind him as if that would protect him from Jeongyeol's wrath. 

"Jung Wooyoung," His father breathed out, thunderstruck. "Are you mad?" 

San visibly flinched at the torrent of words that were coming from Jeongyeol's mouth. San knew their kingdoms were at odds but this… this was a slightly unexpected turn of events. His face fell slightly as Wooyoung pushed him behind his broad frame. He didn’t give Wooyoung the chance to say anything; he moved to the side and looked Wooyoung's father in the eyes. "Sir, I know our kingdoms were at war, and I know our kingdoms still hold anger for each other, but this could make that go away. Once the people see that Wooyoung and I have put our differences aside, and love each other, it will show the people that hate isn't the answer." There was no way he was going to act like a scared little omega now. No, sir. He had been born a prince and, even with his omega status, he had been taught everything there was to know about diplomatic relations and political marriages. He had become Wooyoung's consort to ease the tension between the kingdom of Starlight and the kingdom of Utopia, and he wasn’t about to let that flush down the toilet just because the former king still held a grudge. "I know you don't approve but this could be the chance to make things right between our kingdoms. We could all finally be at complete peace."

Wooyoung was blown away by San's intervention. He stared at him wide-eyed and speechless, unable to form any sort of word. He just dropped a hand on the omega's shoulder, squeezing it to show his gratitude and admiration.

Jeongyeol's furious gaze hovered over to San, and he didn't seem as happy as Wooyoung—not at all. "You love each other? You truly love each other, after less than a year of knowing each other? You love each other to the point of spending the rest of your lives together?" Jeongyeol scoffed, faking a laugh. "Yeah, right."

"That's what you did with Mom, though, wasn't it?" Wooyoung asked. And Wooyoung immediately knew he shouldn't have said it.

"You!" Jeongyeol took a threatening step towards his son, but Wooyoung didn't even waver; he knew Jeongyeol would never hurt him. "I worked so hard to make it so easy for you. I worked so hard to make it obvious, to send you on the right path. But you–you went with..." Jeongyeol sent a furious finger in San's direction. 

"I'm sorry, but all your hard work seemed more like useless pressure," Wooyoung replied grimly, his face rid of any type of emotion.

Jeongyeol, on the other hand, looked like he was feeling so many things that he didn't even know how to express them. It was crazy how docile he still looked when Wooyoung knew this was probably the angriest he'd ever seen him. "The right answer was right in front of you. I–I even brought him back to Utopia for you!" That last sentence was basically a growl, low and loud. 

Wooyoung's calmness faltered. "You… Is this about Yeosang?" 

"He was by your side all this time. He's done things for you you don't even know of. Even more than Seonghwa." Jeongyeol spat out, a dangerous gleam in his eyes that was starting to scare Wooyoung. 

"So… this isn't political at all," The alpha realized, swallowing down his shock. "This is… I don't even know what this is. Did you think two people would want to marry each other just because you wanted it to happen?"

Jeongyeol groaned, kicking a nearby crate of herbs, sending them all spreading on the floor. "You don't understand! You–" He kicked the crate again. "Get out." He finally said, motioning towards the exit. "Out. I can't look at you now." 

"No." Wooyoung huffed. "I won't get out. Let's talk now. What is this all about? Why are you like this?"

"I SAID, OUT." Jeongyeol kicked the crate towards Wooyoung, and it hit his knee. It didn't hurt much—almost not at all—, but what shocked him more was that he'd actually thrown it at him. It could've hit him in the stomach or the groin if he had been unlucky. His father had just almost hit him where it would physically hurt, but he hit him hard inside, damaging their already-weak relationship. "Get out, Wooyoung," Jeongyeol said quietly, turning away as he tried to control his breathing.

San gave a hiss of anger as the crate hit Wooyoung. His anger mixed with fear, making his entire body stiffen. Despite his own agitation, he forced himself to calm down—for Wooyoung’s sake—and tugged on the young king’s sleeve. "Young-ah, let's leave. It's a bad idea to stir him up even more. You can talk about this later, okay?" San said quietly, trying to pull Wooyoung towards the door. This wasn't going to end well if Wooyoung stayed. He could smell the angry alpha pheromones in the air and it was starting to affect him, making his legs shake.

Wooyoung pressed his lips tight, and stumbled a bit at San's pull. Yet he refused to leave. He refused to leave before he understood what was going on. He knew San was scared—he could smell it in his scent—and didn't want to put him in any danger whatsoever, but he could admit that alone in front of his father, without anyone with him as emotional support, he would practically just break down and obey him. 

"Listen to the omega, Wooyoung." Jeongyeol wrinkled his nose at San's acrid scent. "Leave. His scent'll stain this place for weeks." He huffed, annoyance—and a hint of disgust—clear in his tone.

"What does Yeosang have to do with this? Why did you want the two of us to marry so intently? Why not Hongjoong?"

"I gave you two perfect possibilities. Two perfect omegas. Two perfect brides. One of them fucked it up, but I still had another. My last chance. My one chance to–" Jeongyeol cut himself off before he finished the sentence, but Wooyoung was hung up on what he'd said before. Jeongyeol didn't swear often; in Wooyoung's thirty-three years of living with him, this was only the third time he'd heard his father curse. And now, he seemed to be close to spouting out just curses.

"Hongjoong fucked it up? How the hell did he fuck it up? What'd he fuck up?" Wooyoung demanded answers, his chin tilting upwards. At the moment, he absolutely hated the few centimetres his father had that he didn’t.

Jeongyeol froze for a second, as if regretting what he'd let slip, then unfroze just as fast. He just started taking long, threatening strides towards his son. Wooyoung's throat went dry, and he suddenly became terrified of what the former king could do. He backed away, faltering in his step and almost tripping over his own feet. He put up his hands weakly, his whole body trembling despite the confidence and courage he wanted to display. 

Jeongyeol saw all of this—his son's obvious fear—, but it didn't make him hesitate, not even a bit. "Fool!"He fisted Wooyoung thin shirt's collar, pushing him towards the wall violently, yet making sure his head didn't hit the brick wall too hard to avoid dealing with head wounds. "You're such an idiot!"

Wooyoung sucked in a sharp breath, a pang of pain aching through his upper body. Yet that pain was nothing compared to how much he was suffering inside. His father hadn't always been like this. He hadn't always been this antagonistic. Wooyoung then started doubting his own memories. Or maybe he had? Maybe he had always acted selfishly, to get his own way? Now that he thought about it, why was his mom so eager to leave the palace? Why did she leave, saying she'd be back in a month or two, and then disappear for years? 

A low growl formed in the back of San’s throat as Wooyoung was pushed up against the wall. He focused his attention on him, deciding to speak; he would’ve walked right in to give Jeongyeol a good punch in the gut, but his mere manners—and his considerable fear—froze him into place. "Wooyoung, don't you see what he's doing? He's using everyone as pawns in his chess game! He hides in the back when he instructs everyone to move forward, like a twisted army. He doesn't care about anyone! He's been using both Yeosang and Hongjoong, just to disorient you and get you to bend to his plans."

At the words San fired, Jeongyeol turned towards him, loosening his grip on Wooyoung. He only took a small step towards him, but it was enough for Wooyoung to react. He pushed his father away fiercely, making him stumble for a bit, disoriented, before sending a well-measured fist to his face. More shock and unbelief showed on Jeongyeol's face, then pain and outrage. 

Wooyoung kept that merciless scowl on his face, slowly stalking towards San. "You will not touch a single hair of his!" He yowled, shaking despite his anger. "I'm the king, now. I acknowledge that I can't do everything I wish to do, but your orders mean nothing to me anymore. Your status is below mine. I ignore what your thoughts are, what's pushing you to do this, and I won't dig any deeper, not until I'm certain San will be safe and happy. But don't you dare try anything funny," Wooyoung let out a shaky breath, but kept his fiery gaze on Jeongyeol's. "Because if you do, I'll make sure to destroy you."

San, who was still trying to recover from the way his heart almost jumped out of his ribcage when he’d seen Jeongyeol move towards him, stepped forward and hugged Wooyoung when he approached, hiding his head in the crook of the other’s neck. "Please, Wooyoung… Can we go now?" He mumbled, his body trembling like a leaf. He was inhaling Wooyoung's scent, trying desperately to calm down. San had had enough; the alpha pheromones were overwhelming.

Wooyoung didn't wait for San to insist. The acrid smell of his fear was now clear in the air. It almost hurt when he thought of how they turned the happy memory of his proposal into such a bitter one. He mocked a small bow to his father and reached his hands up to the middle of his chest to wrap around San's. He gently pulled San out of the laboratory with him, careful not to walk too fast to avoid falling over. 

"San, you…” He had no idea what he should say now, especially not after the situation San had just witnessed. "Please don't hate him." He finally said, letting his head drop back onto San's shoulder. "If I hate him, and you're not there to stop me and reason with me, I'll probably do something I'll regret."

San just shook his head. "I-I don't. He speaks the truth and I can see where he's coming from. Our kingdoms do have their animosity, and he's still upset. I had a feeling he might be upset, but… but not that upset." San shuddered. "And it's my fault. I shouldn't have spoken. I should've kept my mouth shut. I goaded him on…” San said, upset. "But maybe he's right. Maybe this isn't about love. Maybe you should pick someone else… I'm not fit to rule over a place I barely know anything about."

Wooyoung felt his heart spasm at San's last words. He was too emotionally drained to act angry, or come up with a long heartfelt speech. So he just laughed. He chuckled quietly, his head rolling to face San's cheek. He gently kissed San's jawline, smiling against his skin. "I've been innerly debating with myself ever since the day of your arrival, San-ah. When I say that I want you for a bride, it's because I've thoroughly checked and rechecked my reasons and that I'm sure." He said, huffing. "But then again," His words took a sad note. "If you really think this isn't alright, then you can... refuse." He sighed, looking back to the ceiling. "I won't force you to stay just because you impulsively agreed the first time."

Wooyoung gently untangled himself from San and backed away at a reasonable distance from him. He kept his eyes on the ground. "It'll be hard to get over you, so I'd have to send you back to Starlight to forget you. You'd get to go home to your parents and brother." He cast a pained smile in his direction. "And don't worry about the war. Now that I know how stupid it is, and how nice Hakyeon actually is, I won't engage in it again. You can go without any worries."

San was desperately trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill. He was overwhelmed by everything that had just happened. He wasn't expecting this to happen now as well. He looked up at Wooyoung and then the dam broke: he burst into tears and latched onto Wooyoung holding him close. "I love you! Why the hell would I have said yes if I didn't? I'm not letting you go, Young-ah, you can't get rid of me that easily."

Wooyoung's heart broke when San broke down. He buried his face into San's hair. He instinctively released wave after wave of pheromones to try and comfort the omega. "You're pretty even when you cry," Wooyoung murmured, feeling the tears build up in his own eyes. He was definitely the type of guy that would cry by watching someone else cry. "Aya–" He huffed, pressing the back of his hand against his eyes. "Stop that. You're making me cry." He let out a weak laugh. "Getting rid of you is the last thing I want to do, San-ah. I would never let you go if you still love me."

"I still love you, dummy." San huffed, landing a weak yet playful hit on the other’s shoulder as he pulled away. "I'll never stop loving you." He said. "Let's not tell anyone else today… about anything. Today has been crazy enough and it's not even lunchtime yet."

"Okay," Wooyoung sighed, reaching out to bring San’s hand up to his lips. He tilted his head, pressing delicate kisses first on San's fingers then on his knuckles, and down his wrist. He took a whiff of his scent and hummed contentedly. "I don't like it when your scent sours," He mumbled, looking back up at San. "But you still manage to smell delicious even when it does." He pulled on the grip he had around San's wrist and closed the distance between their lips, even if it was just for a few seconds. Then, they parted away, and he flashed him a bright smile. "I'll need help cleaning my room, if you want to help me. It's been a while since I cleaned it."

The kiss was gentle and full of love; the omega felt himself calm down. When they pulled away for air, San looked at Wooyoung, a cheeky smile forming on his lips. "That's the most interesting way anyone has ever asked me to come to the bedroom," San said with a small laugh. "Of course I'll help you clean your room." He said, intertwining his fingers with Wooyoung’s.

"Oh?" Wooyoung tugged San out of the jungle lounge. "How many times has someone asked you to come to the bedroom?" He grimaced, narrowing his eyes at the omega. "I can just imagine it; teenage San stealing alphas' hearts left and right."

"Oh my gods, how did you know? I had proposals every other day! But I refused all of them. They just wanted to be an addition to the royal family. They cared nothing about me. And most of them were not even cute." San wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"So I saved you from your torturing hell of marriage proposals?" Wooyoung laughed dryly. "I know I shouldn’t be salty, but I am. You won't ditch me if one of them comes back without acne or flab and confesses his love to you, right?" He said playfully, nudging the omega.

"I would never! As I said, they were only in it for fame and riches. But I know you're not, and that you actually like me." San said softly and nuzzled into him, kissing his cheek and his neck and then his lips. "I'd never ditch you. Would you ever ditch me if a prettier omega came along? You wouldn’t, right? It’s the same concept."

Wooyoung wrapped an arm around San's waist and pulled him closer, tilting his head against his. "I didn't choose you for your prettiness." He paused, flushing out of embarrassment at how mean his words sounded. "I mean, you–you're really pretty. You are. But I'm not marrying you just for that. I–you–your brain is really pretty too." Wooyoung let out a defeated sigh. "I'm gonna shut up now."

San smiled, feeling the blush creep into his cheek. "Well, I'm glad you like my brain. I like yours too. Now let's go clean your bedroom."

* * *

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